Lone Traveler: Babylon 5 Universes
by dunuelos
Summary: This thread is entirely made up of the Lone Traveler's experiences within universes which contain Vorlons, Shadows, Earthforce, Mimbari, etc. Extracted from the main Lone Traveler thread on my account here. For those unfamiliar, you can read them or skip it. Some shorts are wish fulfillment, some are commentary, some are humor, some are ... just because I felt like it. Enjoy.
1. Pt1: Oasis on the Road to Babylon

Disclaimer for All Linked Stories: I don't own the intellectual properties that these stories are based on.

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Considering that the purpose of these works is non-profit (no one is making money off of them) and that there is unlikely to be a deleterious effect on the market or value of any copyrighted work, and the ultimate purpose of fan-fiction is, in essence, a commentary by the fan-fiction author to reflect opinion on the original (alternate usage, plot holes, discontent on portions of the original, or other factors), I - and ultimately any fan-fiction author - present the works linked here-in under this provision of copyright law.

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Scene: Babylon 5, The Movies, "In the Beginning"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: Oasis on the Road to Babylon, Part 1

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

(The Initial Dialogue was stolen – STOLEN – from Grand Admiral Harmon (FF Story ID 7833733). It was pretty close to canon in the Babylon 5 Universe – until a blue light. The Italics indicate the stolen text even if I reordered it a bit.)

 _"Delenn," a man said, and before her she saw the massive presence of Dukhat. He dwarfed her by at least two feet._

 _"Master," she said, bowing her head, "I came as instructed."_

 _"Come now," he said impatiently, "lift up your eyes."_

 _"It's forbidden," she said horrified._

 _"I won't have acolytes of mine walking around with their eyes always down," he said, "You'll always be running into things."_

 _She didn't know if she should laugh at his joke or be mortified that a man of his position would joke around like that. So, instead, she looked up at him and nodded. A warm smile played across his face._

 _"So Delenn," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, again against the protocols, and led her gently towards the group in grey. All shrouded in grey cloaks. No faces to be seen, standing in a circle._

 _"Tell me Delenn," he said, "What do you know of these Humans?"_

 _"They are a very young race," she shrugged, "They have advanced though considerably in their time though. I suggest caution. They might not know what to expect of us."_

 _"My thoughts exactly," he smiled._

* * *

 _Delenn walked into the observation room, and saw the massive display of the system. Five ships could be seen. Three were of a sleek rectangular design. The other two were larger, looking like massive blocks thrown together, with the mid sections rotating. She had only seen such things in historical archives. These people didn't seem all that advanced if they had rotating sections._

 _"Gunports opened."_

 _"Gunports opened sir," a scan officer reported._

 _"Who gave that order?" Dukhat shouted._

 _Captain Dervelen, captain of the ship, turned to him with raised eyebrow._

 _"I did sir," he replied, "It's a sign of respect to show our weapons to them. Show we aren't hiding anything."_

 _"You fool!"_

* * *

 _"Captain," the First Officer shouted across the command bridge, "We got an unidentified ship in our sector."_

 _Captain Michael Jankowski looked up from the console he had been bent over, looking over at his XO who was standing next to the scanning station._

 _"Unidentified?" he repeated, walking over to them, "Is it showing any hostile intentions?"_

 _"Unclear sir," he replied, "Our scanners are having a hard time pinpointing them sir."_

 _"Send it on to Battlegroup-Commander Chafin."_

 _Jankowski looked sharply over at him. "Are they charging?" he asked._

 _"Can't tell sir," he shook his head, "Their scanning us and it's overpowering our systems."_

 _"I'll be hanged for letting a bunch of upright aliens shut down our systems," Jankoswki growled, "Open fire on that ship!"_

 _"Sir," his first officer said, turning to him, "Would not a warning shot be enough?"_

 _"We don't know if they are powering up a super-laser!" Jankoswki barked, "Gunnery Sergeant: Fire!"_

* * *

Suddenly in the center of the command deck of the Minbari vessel, a blue light pulsed. All of the command deck was frozen, thinking this was a new weapon. The warriors on guard patrol were so shocked that they hadn't even raised their PPG rifles.

Out of the blue light, a figure appeared. The being – obviously not Minbari or of any race that any knew about regardless of how close they were in appearance – took note of the large energy balls coming toward the viewscreens.

The figure took a stick of some strange material and said a word. Suddenly, a beam shot out – through the bulkhead – and formed a large circle made of light right in front of the ship. The blue energy pulses hit the large circle – and bounced off at odd angles.

Several more pulses come forward, but all hit the large circle. Finally there was a lull in the shots. The figure shot forth another beam – which coalesced into the image of a bright light shaped like an animal of some sort. The figure said a few words and the animal made of light shot out of the bulkhead, appearing to run through space before hitting the ship that had fired and disappearing. The Minbari looked at the figure in awe. It could only be a first one at full power!

* * *

Jankowski watched as the ship he had just ordered his people to fire upon projected a large yellow disc. The shots hit the disk and caromed off in random directions. One of the reflected shots moved very close to another ship from his own group – the one holding Battlegroup-Commander Chafin. Fearful about getting in trouble for getting his commander killed, he reluctantly gave an order.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" The gunners stopped sending shots. "What the hell is that?"

Before he could get an answer, one of the people on a scanner station said, "There is an odd light _coming out from the hull of the ship_. It's not from a gunport!" The man paused as though unable to continue.

Jankowski yelled, "Well, speak up man! Is it an attack?"

The man nervously relied, "It looks like a running stag made of light."

"What!? Someone else check that!"

Another person looked at the readings. Many systems were being interfered with but the scanner still somewhat functioned. "Sir! The ensign is correct! It looks like a stag made of light."

The stag was coming very close to the ship. If it was a shot …. "BRACE FOR IMPACT!" he yelled out.

The light hit the ship – and disappeared. Suddenly, it phased _right onto the command deck_. All of the people on the deck were in shock. Before Jankowski could say anything, the stag reared up and settled down, standing proudly among them. It looked around and saw the commander in his command deck. The people around were flummoxed by the peaceful feeling the stag generated.

A voice came out of the stag – in an EARTH accent! It sounded British.

"Hey, Mate, could you lot stop sending potshots? I don't want to get killed over here! Was there no other choice than to blow up the opposition?"

* * *

The Minbari looked at the figure. Finally, Dukhat spoke: "Nobody move! And close the damn gunports and stop scanning!"

The warriors at the controls moved to comply. The figure looked at Dukhat confused, and then sent tapped his own throat and ears with the stick he was holding while saying some words. He then sent a light at Dukhat which didn't do anything apparently.

Dukhat, a little shocked, asked, "Who are you?"

The figure looked around and replied, "Harry Potter. Who are you?"

* * *

Commander Jankowski shocked beyond belief said, "Send a message with a brief description to the Battlegroup-Commander! Ask for directions!"

He wasn't about to get himself in trouble for making decisions when those decisions could get him reprimanded. Of course, he was already in hot water – he just didn't know it yet.

The communications officer sent the message. The ensign at the scanner station yelled out, "Sir! The ship has stopped sending the signal jamming our equipment and it has closed its gunports!"

Jankowski sat back, looking around and toward the image on the screen. He wasn't certain what to do.

* * *

Dukhat replied to the man, "I am Dukhat, Leader of the Grey Council, Councilors to the Minbari Federation. What species are you?"

The warriors looked at their leader a bit surprised – although you would have to be Minbari to notice it. The figure in front of them replied, "Human, Wizard, and Master of Death."

Dukhat repeated that in his own language. These humans were more interesting than even he had imagined. The warriors, upon hearing the moniker "Master of Death," tensed a bit. The human hadn't made any moved and had indeed saved their ship. But that title indicated someone well-versed in war. And war was the province of the Warrior Caste.

The human, upon hearing the language from the rest, waited for his translation charm to kick in. It had to have some basis to work on.

Finally, he had picked up enough of the language that the warriors were speaking and said in Vik (the Dark Language of the Warrior Caste), "Who the hell is that firing on your ship?"

Dukhat, who could speak all Minbari dialects fluently, replied, "We don't know. However," and here he looked at the captain, "we might have provoked them by approaching with our gunports open."

The human nodded. "Well, knowing my own people, if someone comes at you with a weapon drawn, it's shoot first and ask questions later. Better to be safe than sorry."

Dukhat asked, "How do your people approach someone you don't know or to whom you don't speak the language?"

Harry thought about it. "It's better to approach with hands visibly open and empty and wait for them to respond in kind. My people know that anyone can actually kill you. Some of the worst are the ones that look weak. If someone comes on with a weapon – they're a threat. It might also mean, I am better than you and I can attack you at any time. We don't respond well to threats – or things that we don't know about if it might be dangerous. An open hand means 'I do not wish to attack you.' Been that way with our people for over 40,000 years – since we lived in caves."

Dukhat looked at the Minbari captain with a vicious smirk as he replied to Harry, "A lesson on other cultures our people will happy to learn." He didn't add the words that his message implied to the other Minbari, "Or else!"

The captain was a bit nervous. The alien idea that this "Master of Death" espoused was so against his Warrior Caste training that it showed these humans as alien and different. His training had not been sufficient for dealing with someone so different in approach.

Dukhat finally asked, "How did you appear on this ship?"

Harry looked around and answered, "Through a mistake I made long ago." Dukhat looked interested. "How about we sort out who those people are and then I can tell you about it?"

Dukhat agreed. He ordered the view of the enemy ship expanded. Harry started when he saw the name of the ship. "Wait! Those are human names!"

The Warriors looked at Harry with a bit of suspicion. Understandable considering the ship just fired upon them. The only reason they were undamaged was because of Harry's own actions.

Harry mused out loud, "I wonder what year it is back on Earth? 'Cause I know my time doesn't have big ships in space."

Dukhat, Delenn, and the others who heard him were visibly shocked at that statement.

"Can you call them? I speak the language and can ask them why they fired."

Dukhat ordered the Warrior at communications to open a channel for the Human among them. The Warrior did so and nodded at Harry.

* * *

The Communications Officer yelled out, "A message coming from the ship! It's in English!"

Jankowski ordered it played out loud.

A voice with a British accent, the same voice that had come out of the light-stag, was asking, "Is there a reason why you people were firing on this ship? Cause it's not quite Cricket to just be sending potshots off at random strangers."

The people who were on the Bridge were shocked at the obvious Human reference.

The Battlegroup-Commander's voice piped through on the same channel. "I was just about to find that out. One of my commanders might have decided that whatever the ship you are on sent out it was an attack as it interfered with many of our systems. Also, the gunports were open. We were sending messages asking it to stop, but no one replied."

There was a pause, and then the voice continued. "The leader over here sends his apologies. His people were scanning. It's also a mark of respect among their warriors to approach showing an open gunport – it's a mark of respect to say that they consider you just as strong as they are. I just explained what Human's consider respectful for strangers. It's a bit of a shock for them."

The Battlegroup-Commander's voice replied, "Well, couldn't you have answered our hails when we were squawking the request to stop the scan?"

The voice paused. "Well, the truth is – I just got here right as your people were firing and these people don't understand the Queen's Own English. I … applied a translation method to get them to understand me. It's a long story. Why don't we all meet on one of the ships and I'll tell you all about it."

* * *

The Battlegroup Commander had asked for hour to confer with his other commanders. Harry repeated that to Dukhat. "Well, since the scans messed with their systems and they took a few shots, it might be better to find a neutral place to talk to them. I can translate – as long as the cosmos doesn't move me on from here. It does that on occasion."

Dukhat nodded. That was reasonable. "Can you answer questions about your people? It might save us from making embarrassing mistakes – such as inadvertently making them think we are attacking." He once again gave a vicious look toward Captain Dervelen.

Before Harry could answer, one of the Warriors cried out in alarm. "Satai! The Shag-toth have appeared!"

Dukhat yelled out with urgency, "Where are they?"

The Warrior looked at the panel. "They are – leaving. There were hundreds of their ships but all are turning and disappearing!"

Dukhat looked awed at this. Harry interjected, "Who or what are the Shag-toth?"

Dukhat looked at Harry. "They are a race that attempts to steal the souls at the moment of death. They often come when there is much death – or the death of a great leader. They are much despised by my people."

Harry nodded. "Well, it seems that before I arrived someone here, possibly you, would have died. Since I changed it – they have no reason to stay."

The Minbari were shocked to realize that such was likely the case. Harry was thoughtful for a moment. "You do realize that they likely have different beliefs than you. You don't seem to like them but here they are. Have you ever talked to them?"

Dukhat looked thoughtful – while every other Minbari was scandalized. He asked, "Can you send a message to these people?"

Dukhat nodded in the affirmative. "Tell them The Master of Death has a question for them."

The Warrior looked to Dukhat. Dukhat looked to Harry and then nodded his acceptance.

The Warrior sent the message out in Interlac. Suddenly one of the ships leaving stopped and turned around. The other ships stopped further off. A message was returned. "What does Death's Master ask of us?"

Harry, being a bit stubborn, decided he wasn't going to avoid riling up the Minbari. "I request a meeting between myself and a member of your race. The Minbari seem to hate you but here you came. I would like to meet with you to learn why there is hate on both sides."

The Warriors and the other Minbari present were outraged that someone would speak to a Shig-toth without being forced to. One protested, "They are an abomination! There can be no talking to them!"

Dukhat motioned to the one who had protested. "Delenn, hear him out."

Harry looked at Delenn. "If you never talk to them, how can you fix the problem? Now, I seem to have saved your collective arses from the idiots across the way. All I'm asking for is the chance to find out what the big problem is – from both sides. Is that too much to ask?"

Delenn visibly wanted to protest, but Dukhat interjected. "It you could find out, it would be a miracle on the proportion of a star being created."

Delenn bowed her head in resignation. "Understanding is not required. Just obedience."

Dukhat was appalled. His student had far to go. He was about to comment, until Harry entered his own opinion. "Where the hell did that tripe come from?" The word "tripe" came across in Minbari as a very rude word for discard-able offal. "If you don't learn, how can you progress? You can't make any progress without understanding. Sure, you can learn how other people did things, but you can't be yourself if you don't take the time to learn. I mean: Who are you? Don't you want to know?"

All the Minbari were startled at the last statement. According to Legend, the Vorlons asked only one question: "Who Are You?" Most could not answer to the satisfaction of the Vorlons. Minbari spent years trying to learn the answer to that question. Were their own practices at fault for stopping them from answering?

Harry noticed the shock and then jogged them out of it by saying, "Can you send the message?"

Dukhat nodded at the Warrior at communications. He was impressed by the Human's response to that traditional Minbari truism. He had tried to break the traditions which stultified the Minbari for centuries. He was teaching his student to think just for that reason. Someone had to take over when he was gone.

Dukhat commented to Harry, "Yours is a very strange people to most Minbari." Harry noticed that Dukhat didn't seem to agree with that.

Harry grinned, "Oh, everyone strange in their own way. You'll never be happy if you don't learn to think for yourself and revel in your own strangeness."

Dukhat smiled in response – although he didn't want to be too obvious to the other Minbari. Such thoughts were so very alien to their culture.

Finally, an answer came from the Soul Hunter ship: "Tell is where and when and we will send a delegate."

Harry thought about it. "Give us a few. We are about to meet with the Humans in a neutral place. When one is named, I can tell you. I will ask that the Minbari and the Humans don't interfere."

Harry waited patiently with Dukhat for the reply from the Battlegroup. Finally, an answer came, "The closest neutral location we found is a Narn colony a few systems over. Is that acceptable?"

Harry looked to Dukhat. He nodded. "Sure, send the address over. How long will it take to get there? Make sure you include time to get someone who can make agreements cause it would be far better to hatchet out an agreement sooner rather than later."

The answer came. "Two weeks. We are sending the coordinates."

The Minbari nodded to say he had received them. "Sounds good. Just as a comment, you people almost killed the leader of the whole Minbari people. You might want to leave the trigger-happy idiot at home so as not to cause a scene."

* * *

Jankowski visibly paled when he heard that. He shuddered when he realized that he had nearly gotten them in a war. The Joint Chiefs were not going to be happy with him.

* * *

After the Earth group left, Harry asked to send the information to the small ship. It was passed. Finally Dukhat said, "I would request that you join me so that we may learn how to deal with the Humans. It would be better all around if you could."

Harry agreed. "I can do that – but whenever the purpose of my arrival is satisfied, I tend to flash off to the next place. So if I disappear – you will have to handle it on your own. I can't control it."

* * *

Dukhat entered his inner sanctum after finally getting their guest into accommodations on the ship. The Vorlons were agitated.

Dukhat described what had happened. Finally he asked, "Have you ever heard of this before?"

The Vorlons turned to each other and back to Dukhat. "Yes."

They then turned toward the place they were staying while on the Minbari ship. Dukhat was a bit frustrated with them – but what could you expect from Vorlons?


	2. Pt2: Oasis on the Road to Babylon

Scene: Babylon 5, The Movies, "In the Beginning"

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Fanfiction Story Title: Oasis on the Road to Babylon, Part 2

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Dukhat sat it in his outer sanctum, hosting a most unusual human. The Grey Council's ship, the Valenthia, was on its way to Z'ha'dum. It would be over in just enough time to reach the meeting between the Humans and themselves.

Dukhat was accompanied by another Council member and his protégé, Delenn. She was also curious about the Human that had appeared in a flash of light.

"So, you are a Human wizard. Tell me, how did you come to arrive on our ship?"

Harry considered how to answer that. "In my own Universe, I was at the forefront in the fight against Dark forces." Harry explained his history, including the death of his parents, his less than salubrious upbringing, his attendance of Hogwarts, the separation of Wizards from Muggles in his society, his adventures, the Goblet of Fire, the death of his Godfather, the pieces of soul that he had found and destroyed, the meaning of the his title as Master of Death, the loss of all his loved ones and the ritual to correct the past resulting in an unstable temporal field taking him.

"And I found that it didn't work. Instead of sending my essence to the past, I have been sent to world upon world, universe upon universe. Many times I have found mistakes, errors, poor situations, bad decisions. I do what I can to help, and then I am moved on. The past, the future, alternate versions of myself, friends I have known, strangers. I hope that one day I will be sent to where I can fix my own life – but until then, I move as the Universe dictates. I can only hope that I make things better."

Delenn, much more emotional than Dukhat, whispered, "Such pain and such resolve. How can you stay sane?"

Harry, having lived this life, still had much pain but he also took time to appreciate the circumstances and people he found himself involved with. "What other choice is there? I could try to kill myself, but the Universe took my last attempt and put me here. I could rail against it, but what would that do? Who is there to appease to rectify my circumstance? God? Magic? The Universe?"

Harry looked so very old in that moment, and then his face took on a look of unutterable resolve. "I will do what I can do to make the world a better place. It is better to fight from your knees than to stand and run away."

Dukhat was mightily impressed by his visitor.

* * *

Dukhat, Delenn, the other members of the Grey Council, and Harry were all standing on the bridge to witness the egress from hyperspace to the region of Z'ha'dum. When Harry had heard of the reason for the trip, he found he was very sympathetic to the leader of the Anla'shok. Not so much toward the Grey Council.

When he had heard the Warriors' plan to come out right on top of the Dark world, he had suggested to Dukhat a more stealthy approach. A scout was best done without announcing your presence to the other side.

When the Warrior who had reported the plan to Dukhat heard the suggestion, he really wanted to sneer. Who skulked when approaching an enemy? Dukhat was amused by the Warrior. He wasn't a big fan of being stupid.

As a result, Dukhat convinced the Grey Council to approve the stealthy approach. The Religious and Worker Caste members were a bit more reasonable.

The Minbari were hidden behind several asteroids in the system. Whatever else could be said about the Warriors who flew the ship, their skills at their chosen place was unmatched. The pilot kept the ship moving behind the moving rock keeping it between the ship and the planet. A small fighter was launched.

The pilot of the small pilot ship kept to the shadows of the asteroid as she used every scanner on the small ship to record the planet now in view. The gravimetric drive of the shuttle allowed her to latch on to the asteroid to keep in a relatively dark spot from the planet below. After she scanned for about an hour, she moved the flyer back to the Valenthia. It and its small number of escorts then jumped out.

* * *

The Grey Council was reviewing the images captured by the flyer.

The holographic screen was expanded to shop details on the surface. The communications scanners were played. The energy emissions were calculated. There was one more bit of evidence that Dukhat presented.

"On the command deck, we had a visitor. This visitor has many unusual abilities. Among his people, he is called a Wizard – a worker of Magic. Unlike the Technomages that we have encountered over the years, there is no used of technology to achieve results. He made an observation that I wish all to hear."

Dukhat made a gesture and shortly thereafter, the Human that all had heard about came in. He was directed into the center circle of light.

He looked around and said, "I see you people are all for the third degree." None of the Minbari understood the reference.

Dukhat asked Harry, "Can you repeat what you reported to me earlier?"

Harry nodded. "Right before we left, as the flyer was coming back, I felt a presence attempting to find me using some sort of mental probe. Luckily, I have experience and I closed my mind to it in such a way that it slid off of my mind. It was a very powerful probe."

The Grey Council was shocked. One of them, a Warrior, asked, "How can we be certain that this is accurate?" The Warriors were not fond of an Alien giving testimony.

Dukhat, however, had an answer. "I have asked a telepath from one of the escort vessels that stayed further back to come and scan Harry's mind – with his permission. She will report the veracity of his observations."

He made another gesture, and a white-robed member of the Religious Caste arrived. Harry having been prepared said, "I only agree for review of what happened there. The rest of my past I will only show when I choose."

Dukhat nodded in acquiescence. The telepath scanned Harry's mind. Having had experience with mental intrusion, Harry directed her to the relevant memory. She saw the whole scene from his perspective. When she was done, she reported: "His statement is accurate. There as a mental presence. He hid his mind most effectively."

Dukhat nodded. "Is there anything else you would say before being dismissed?"

Harry thought about it. "I have some experience with Dark presences. Whatever tried to scan me was Dark in a way that few are. It was also very strong – it is lucky that I have experience in dealing with that or we would have been found. I can only guess that my mind, having experience with the Mind Arts, was more susceptible to being felt."

The Warrior sneered, "What does a young Human like you know about the Dark?"

* * *

Harry felt a sudden _need_ to knock that smug look off the idiot's face. He felt a buildup of energy. He suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.

The Grey Council was shocked.

* * *

Harry appeared in an Artisan's studio. He looked around noticing that he was no longer on that ship. He looked around and saw a man with a robe, sitting in front of a bench which contained a stone stand containing a Pensieve. Wow, that was convenient. One of his recent visits landed him a number of Galleons which he couldn't spend outside of the Magical world. Obviously, he was in the Magical world.

* * *

Sitherious Psechikos looked upon the latest copy of his greatest invention. He had managed to create an object which allowed one to sort through memories to find detail which was missed originally. His family was well known for devices and magics having to do with the mind.

Suddenly there was a bright blue light in his shop. He shielded his eyes and before him was a figure dressed most outlandishly. The man wore some type of animal hide covering and his legs were covered by a long version of English trousers. He had shoes made of leather.

He had heard about this. It was a legend that he had heard as a young child. He gasped, "Traveler!"

The figure nodded at him and lit upon the Pensieve. The Traveler's face brightened. He pointed to the bowl. Sitherious, having always wanted to meet the Traveler, was enthusiastic as he handed the bowl to the man to inspect it. The Traveler looked it over and then looked at Sitherious. The traveler set it down and fished out of his pocket a bag. The Traveler dumped a small pile of gold Galleons in front of Sitherious, and then picked the Pensieve back up. The man then waved his wand and the stone pedestal was transfigured to a small stone and picked up by the Traveler.

He couldn't imagine the power required to transfigure stone.

The man said one word, "Thanks," and then turned. He disappeared in another blinding light, this time accompanied by Phoenix song. Sitherious stood transfixed, even as the sound faded.

He was truly blessed by Magic to have been able to help that poor, tortured soul described in Legend.

* * *

The Grey Council had just seen their visitor disappear in a bright blue light. All were transfixed. As soon as the first syllable was heard uttered by the Warrior that had been confronted, the bright blue light had reappeared and Harry Potter reappeared – holding an odd metal bowl.

Dukhat asked with some shock, "What happened?"

While still looking at the Warrior Harry replied, "The Universe moved me. Or I moved the Universe. I don't know. All I do know is that I can now answer this idiot's question."

The Warrior stiffened at the casual insult. He was about to reply when Dukhat yelled, "Enough!" The Warrior settled down, but still wanted to gut the Human in front of him.

With some asperity Dukhat said, "Let us see what the Universe requires, yes?"

Harry took the stone out, set it on the ground, and cancelled the transfiguration. The pedestal expanded back out to its full size. Harry placed the metal bowl in its stand.

Harry then concentrated and drew several strands that looked like liquid made of light from his head. He placed them each in metal bowl.

Once he was finished he said, "Place your finger within the bowl and you will see my response." He backed away to allow the Grey Council access.

Dukhat looked at the Warrior Council member and said, "I think we will all do as Harry asked. It should be most illuminating."

All Nine plus Dukhat moved so that each could reach the large bowl set in stone. Each suddenly felt themselves fall until all stood in the muted image of a room. A woman and a man were standing there, and suddenly the door blew in. The man yelled, and the woman took the baby up the stairs. They followed. The Warriors had tried to attack the figure – but their hands passed through. The images played out.

Scene after scene, the images played out. Most were horrifying. The Warrior that had asked the question which engendered this response was sickened. The boy they all saw was obviously Human visitor as a child. It was becoming more and more apparent that this Human knew about Darkness – all too well.

Dukhat, the only one who had the translation spell applied, had to translate for the Council.

When finally the scenes had stopped each reawakened to awareness of themselves. They looked around and saw the other members doing the same, and then they all turned toward the figure standing several feet away.

The Warrior that had started the whole process stepped forward and bowed. "I extend my most humble apology. From the records provided it is obvious that you are quite experienced with the Dark." All who had not seen the memories were astounded that a Warrior, a member of the Grey Council, would abase himself before an Alien – regardless of the provocation.

Harry nodded. "I accept your apology." He looked off for a moment, his sight obviously not on what he faced. His eyes returned to the Warrior. "I should apologize as well. I made it too personal. I shouldn't have subjected you to the memory of evil that I have seen. It was not of your making."

The Warrior bowed his head in respect.

Harry moved to return the memories to his head. They were his burden, and his alone. He would not leave them to traumatize anyone else.

Harry turned and made his way out of the chambers to the quarters he had been provided.

* * *

The Grey Council argued back and forth as to what to do. Most did not want to alarm the Mimbari people. But all had agreed that steps must be taken to find the other half of their soul as stated in Ancient Prophesy.

Some had wanted to argue that the Dark presence was not the Shadows – until they had seen the experience of the young Human. The image of the leader of a people denying the return of the Dark on Harry's own world opened their eyes to the foolishness that position posed.

The experiences that they had all seen had changed them. It matured them beyond their blindness. The Religious members were moved by the Universe making itself manifest in the image of a Human Traveler. The Worker members saw the devastation of War and the necessity of rebuilding. The Warriors … the Warriors could not help but be humbled by a sentient that would fight the Dark against the opposition of those that "knew better."

The Grey Council saw that the Dark must be fought, even when it seemed status quo.

* * *

The Valenthia, with a much larger escort than present two weeks earlier, jumped through the local jumpgate. The Narn Outpost in Sector 157, Quadrant 37 to the Narn, saw more traffic than it had seen in many years. It boasted the largest concentration of Narns outside of the Narn Homeworld. It had a space station present to protect it from attack.

Near the station were several Human ships. Most were the same as the ones the Valenthia had encountered. One was not. It was a diplomatic ship.

The Narns had several warships, in addition to freighters which moved food to the Narn homeworld. Their own was still desolate after their war with the Centauri.

The Narns had finally agreed to host the talks at the Space Station – for a small fee. They really were a mercenary people since freeing themselves from the Centauri.

* * *

Harry, despite the suggestions of several of the Grey Council, kept to his casual clothing. It was a strange thing that they had all agreed that an Alien had been chosen by all of them to be a member of the group to represent their position to the race that had attacked them. But Harry Potter was a very unusual Human.

Harry asked Dukhat about one other thing. Shortly after arriving, a statement had come from the Mimbari declaring protection for a FOURTH Race that was sending a delegate. They were told that it was personal business and the Minbari, like the Earthers, had paid a fee in a quantity of Quantium 40 for use of the station to meet with someone.

* * *

Harry reflected that his experiences in the past did not seem to prepare him for what he was about to deal with.


	3. Pt3: Oasis on the Road to Babylon

Scene: Babylon 5, The Movies, "In the Beginning"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: Oasis on the Road to Babylon, Part 3

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Harry sat in the conference room where the Earth Ambassador and Dukhat met. In the room was a Narn, acting as a moderator. The choice of a Narn was due to the fact that they were well known to do business with anyone, except perhaps the Centauri.

He had been introduced as a consultant for the Mimbari, and a free agent.

After many pleasantries had been exchanged, the attendees got down to business.

The Human began, "The Earth Alliance government wished to express their personal apology to the Mimbari people for the actions of Commander Jankowski in firing upon the Mimbari ship, the Valenthia. His action was a result of a misunderstanding due to the interference with his ship due to the scanners used."

Dukhat replied, "The Mimbari people accept the Human apology and offer their own for the actions of the Mimbari that approached the Prometheus. Their attempt to offer respect was easily misunderstood."

Now that the apologies were out of the way the Earth Ambassador said, "We were very curious as to the shield which protected the ship. Can you explain it?"

Harry laughed. The Earth Ambassador looked over at him. Dukhat was amused. "That would be my fault." The Ambassador looked curious. "I am a dimensional traveler. I have certain skills which allowed me to protect the ship I arrived on just moments earlier."

The Earth Ambassador scoffed. "A dimensional traveler? I would question the accuracy of that statement."

Harry recognized the type of person this was. He was reminded of Ministry leaders who refused to see because they knew better. "Tell you what, answer a question and then I will answer yours." The Ambassador nodded reluctantly. "What year is it on Earth?"

The Ambassador was surprised by the question. "It's 2245."

Harry nodded. "I am from a dimension where I was born 31 July 1980 in London, England. I was involved with a civil war in the community I was a part of. I ended the conflict by killing the opposition leader. Having lost all that kept me interested in life, I attempted a procedure involving temporal mechanics. I was 30 at the time. Something went wrong and as a result I have since been passed from Dimension to Dimension. You can search records and see if I lived in this dimension. I lived in Little Whinging, Surrey as a child at 4 Privet Drive with Petunia and Vernon Dursley, my parents sister and brother-in-law. I have certain abilities that are not common."

The Ambassador was shocked. "You're a telepath?"

Harry was confused. "How could a telepath perform that shield?"

The Ambassador shrugged. "They are the only humans we know of with abilities beyond the norm."

Harry shook his head. "There are some limitations on me placed by a law called The Statute of Secrecy. If you have a reference to that and have authorization, I can explain further. Search the following titles, all of which have been applied to me in the past: Maarek Ilumian, Fury of the Light, Boy-Who-Lived, Man-Who-Triumphed, Master of Death, The Chosen One, … and the Lone Traveler."

The Ambassador was shocked at the titles he just heard. Dukhat chuckled, "Harry, I was not aware you held back when telling me your story."

Harry shrugged. "I never have named myself so I don't think of titles in normal conversation."

The Ambassador shook his head. "I will send a message back requesting further research."

The Ambassador and Dukhat the discussed their goals in the negotiations.

* * *

Dukhat sat in the conference room with Delenn, Harry, and several Warriors protecting the two Mimbari. Harry asked that he not be protected – he could protect himself.

Into the room swept a tall figure with reddish skin and long hair. His face was stoic. In the center of the figure's forehead was what appeared to be a jewel set in place.

The figure stood and asked in stilted English, "You are Death's Master?"

Harry nodded. "I have been given that title in the past, among others." Harry indicated the Mimbari. "These are representatives of the Mimbari. I have asked them here because they expressed extreme hatred but no understanding. I would understand. They might not change their mind and I might find you anathema, but you and your people will be safe regardless during and up to 24 Earth hours after our talks. You have my word."

The figure bowed in acknowledgement and took a seat.

"My name is Harry Potter. What is yours?"

The man? said, "Our names are unpronounceable to most not of our kind as they are very long and often increase. You may refer to me as Legate as I am a member of our ruling body." For anyone other than Death's Master, a young and unimportant messenger would have been sent.

The Soul Hunters had a prophesy that Death's Master would appear on the even of a false call and would further their understanding of Death and the Soul.

"These are Dukhat and Delenn, Mimbari. I have guaranteed their protection from you and your protection in return."

The Legate looked at the two and nodded in respect, and acknowledged them: "Satai."

The Warriors tensed. The figure coolly said, "You have our word that we will not pursue you here. We do not cause Death – only save those that are disappearing in Death."

Delenn's response was visceral. "Protect? Do you call entrapment Protection? How can those be reborn again if they are kept prisoner and prevented?"

The figure looked at the Mimbari with confusion. "There is nothing after death. There is only dissolution. We protect the Great Souls from dissolution."

Harry was gobsmacked. He began to guess at what irked the Mimbari so much – and he himself if he was honest.

He finally got control of himself. "What proof do you have of this?"

The alien tilted his head in thought. "It is evident. No proof is needed."

Harry wanted to bang his head on the table. The Mimbari, seeing his reaction, were feeling quite vindicated.

Harry stood up. "I will need a short time to review some thing. I will return shortly." He began to walk to the door to clear his head before blowing up at the red-tinted figure.

As he walked to the door, he disappeared in a blue light. The Mimbari, having seen it before, were very curious. The Soul Hunter was flummoxed. "What has happened?"

Dukhat, somewhat amused, replied, "The Universe has moved him."

* * *

In a control room, a Narn saw a spike of energy and the disappearance of a life signal. He sounded the alarm.

* * *

Several Narns carry hand weapons rushed in to the room. The Mimbari turned to them. "Where is the Human? Who fired the weapon?"

One of the Humans with the Diplomatic team had seen the activity and wanted to gather information for his boss.

Dukhat said, "None fired a weapon. The Human, Harry Potter, has Traveled. Hopefully, he shall return."

* * *

Harry found himself in a forest. He looked around. This was the Forbidden Forest! He recognized it. Why would he be here?

He looked around and his eye caught a ring. He recognized it. He decided the Universe was just playing with him. He didn't realize that the Travels he was now using were directed somewhat.

He had desired absolution for his guilt. His wanderings, unknown to himself, allowed him to fix small and big things which created better worlds. It wasn't as uncontrolled as he himself thought. It was unfortunate for him that this would be something he wouldn't see for a very long time.

He turned to visit Hogwarts, as he wasn't certain … he felt the draw again. He decided that at some point he and God or Fate or Destiny or whoever was messing with him would need to sit down and _chat_ at the earliest opportunity.

He hadn't even realized that he was moving away from the grief for the losses he suffered and moving toward annoyance and some mild interest. He was healing but he had far to go.

* * *

Harry reappeared in front of the Mimbari, Soul Hunter, Narns, and the stray Human. "Sorry for the trouble. The Universe decided I needed an item."

The room was shocked, except for the Mimbari who had seen it before. The Human decided that the Ambassador HAD to be informed.

Harry stood in front of the Soul Hunter. The Narns and Humans stayed, because it was very interesting. None objected – or even noticed. "This is the Resurrection Stone. It is an artifact of my … community. It has the power to call the shade of those that have gone before. It must not be abused, because it isn't a natural phenomenon to be called back from the dead. A single visit from a departed soul is not too uncomfortable. If you try to keep calling them back, the departed soul will pay the price in misery. Never refuse to release a soul once it asked to be released."

He turned the stone three times. He thought of his own departed Ginny. Suddenly, the ghostly form of a beautiful red-haired girl of about sixteen appeared in the room. The girl looked around. "Harry?"

Harry had tears in his eyes as he answered, "Yeah, it's me."

Ginny smiled sadly at Harry. "I heard you have a new title. The Walker or the Traveler or something. I heard it was because you tried to fix it. It wasn't your fault."

Harry cried, "I should have been faster."

Ginny moved her ghostly hand to his cheek. "You couldn't have done anything else. None of us blame you." She looked around. "What's with all the weird people?"

Harry laughed through his tears, "A few Alien races. I am trying to find out why they fight."

Ginny smiled again wistfully. "As Hermione said, you always did have a saving-people thing." Her face took on a small look of discomfort. "I'm a little uncomfortable here. I shouldn't stay."

Harry nodded, "I know. It was the only thing I could think of the prove to him," he pointed to the Soul Hunter which stood with a face of shocked awe and terrible realization, "that the soul lives on after Death."

Ginny nodded and turned to the figure. "Is this proof enough?"

The Soul Hunter nodded, too shocked to speak.

Ginny replied, "Then my pain is well spent." She turned to Harry, "Do your saving people thing. When you pass, we will be waiting. You have to let me go now."

Harry nodded, "Tell everyone I love them." He willed the release of his lost first love.

The image of the beautiful young woman disappeared from the room. The Mimbari were bowing their head in reverence. The Narn were quite flummoxed. The Soul Hunter bowed his head to Harry.

"You truly are Death's Master and you have taught us of Life and Death, as was foretold. I shall take word to my people."

Harry was floored. Foretold? He really loathed Prophesies.

Delenn interjected, "And what of those that you have imprisoned?"

Harry gestured her to be quiet. The Soul Hunter looked at Harry. Harry spoke, "Something will have to be done to release them unless they ask to stay where they are. None should be held without consent."

The Soul Hunter replied, "We shall discuss this. Where can we contact you when we decide?"

Harry shook his head, "I am unlikely to be here. I am moved as needed and once resolved, I am moved on. You should contact the Mimbari, as these are the ones most in 'opposition' to you. Discuss with them what can and should be done. This I request as Master of Death."

The Soul Hunter nodded and then turned to move away. Those in witness moved in fear to give him room. Harry was annoyed, "That was rude. It's not like it would kill you to offer common courtesy and respect! They are who they are and they don't kill people."

The figure turned and nodded. Harry had a thought. "Hey, you guys feel it when there will be great death, yeah?" The Soul Hunter nodded his head. "Ever thought about using your gift to prevent it? You could become the greatest healers and protectors in the galaxy."

The Soul Hunter was still. His people would need a new purpose. "We shall discuss it."

The Mimbari were shocked. They hadn't ever conceived that those vile beings could have any use. This Human was changing their views on a minute-by-minute basis. arns outside of the Narn Homeworld. It had a space station present to protect it from attack.

Near the station were several Human ships. Most were the same as the ones the Valenthia had encountered. One was not. It was a diplomatic ship.

The Narns had several warships, in addition to freighters which moved food to the Narn homeworld. Their own was still desolate after their war with the Centauri.

The Narns had finally agreed to host the talks at the Space Station – for a small fee. They really were a mercenary people since freeing themselves from the Centauri.

* * *

Harry, despite the suggestions of several of the Grey Council, kept to his casual clothing. It was a strange thing that they had all agreed that an Alien had been chosen by all of them to be a member of the group to represent their position to the race that had attacked them. But Harry Potter was a very unusual Human.

Harry asked Dukhat about one other thing. Shortly after arriving, a statement had come from the Minbari declaring protection for a FOURTH Race that was sending a delegate. They were told that it was personal business and the Minbari, like the Earthers, had paid a fee in a quantity of Quantium 40 for use of the station to meet with someone.

* * *

Harry reflected that his experiences in the past did not seem to prepare him for what he was about to deal with.

* * *

Dukhat and Delenn moved to alert their people to the results of the talks. The incident would be spoken of in legend for years to come.

Harry moved to his quarters. He wondered why he was still here. Hadn't he resolved enough?

* * *

It was three days after the incident where the Soul Hunter issue was discussed. The Earth Delegate had requested the delay for a couple of more people to arrive.

The conference room was full. Delenn and Dukhat were once again present, with several Warriors standing guard behind them. Harry was on his own. The Ambassador had an aid and next to him was a figure clad in black with black gloves.

The discussions began. Harry was asked for clarification on an item, until he felt a sudden mental probe. He looked around and saw the new Human looking at him with some intensity.

Quick as an adder, he grabbed the probe and squeezed. The man convulsed.

The man, Richard Barns, was a leader of the Psi Corps. He was rated P12 – but was known to be on the strong side of that rating, the highest there was. When he had been requested to accompany the Diplomatic team and been told why, he was quite intrigued. He was not prepared to deal with a mind that was even stronger than his own.

Harry stood and concentrated on the man. He reversed the probe and was disgusted with what he saw. Both the Earth government AND the Psi Corps were both at fault for the travesties he witnessed in the man's mind. He took his wand and shot a stunner when he was done. Harry turned to the Ambassador.

"Had you just talked, I would have been more than willing to leave things well enough alone. However, this creature has shown me that there is a seed of great damage to the future present. I will return shortly." He turned to the Warriors. "Keep everyone from leaving." The Warriors nodded.

Harry disapparated and arrived where the pensieve was located on the Mimbari ship. Alarms sounded, but the Warrior protecting the room did not move to stop the Human. He doubted he could.

Harry returned with a crack. Everyone was still in the same place. Dukhat and the other Mimbari recognized what he brought.

Harry turned to the Ambassador. "I have a few memory records for you to peruse." Harry removed the captured memories and put them in the bowl. When Dukhat moved forward, Harry lifted his hand to stop him. "This is a purely Human matter." Dukhat was curious, but agreed that Humans should deal with Human matters.

When the Ambassador returned from viewing the memories, he looked with horror at the stunned Psi Corps leader. He turned to Harry. "We didn't know any of this. On this, I swear!"

Harry nodded. "I think that this is one issue that should be resolved. Learn how other races deal with it and act. As a matter of fact," he turned toward Dukhat, "do your people have telepaths?"

Dukhat replied. "There are many so gifted."

Harry asked, "And how do they live? How are they treated?"

Dukhat, with Delenn adding things, explained the view Mimbari had on telepaths. Harry nodded. "I think you have something to spend time on working with."

Harry turned to the Ambassador. "I highly recommend a complete report and keeping it secret until your government can catch the ringleaders. Then work with the Mimbari to implement a better solution suited to Humans rather than Mimbari. I know their views are not Humans'. But it's a good basis for friendly relations in dealing with an issue plaguing one of you." He turned back to Dukhat. "Talk and find out what they can help you with in return."

Both leaders of the different groups nodded.

"It is unfortunate that you do not have a method of extracting memory. It is remarkably useful in reviewing facts." Dukhat started. The Vorlons had shown him memories, but directly. They might have a way to extract them. He would keep quiet for the moment however.

Harry looked at them. "My people kept themselves separate from other Humans. It resulted in too many being able to abuse the system. It's a much better way to work out effective uses of everyone's gifts and to encourage honesty. The Mimbari have a long-dead enemy coming back. Maybe the two of you could work together, yeah?"

Harry turned to move back to his seat. Suddenly, a blue glow appeared and beautiful music was heard. Harry shrunk until he was a ball of light and then disappeared. The room was in awe. Those who had seen it before knew that this time it was different: Harry had Traveled away.

Many stories and tales would be told of the Human visitor from another world. It would be the lynchpin holding the two peoples together. One because he was a part of them, and the other because he did so much for them. Telepaths would thank him for preventing corruption from destroying them.

People would long remember the visit of the Lone Traveler.

* * *

Omake: Random Consequences

* * *

In the far distant future:

The woman knelt by the bed of her child. The girl, a direct descent of John and Delenn Sheridan, was the source of great joy for their family. But she had been struck down by an illness that none could cure.

The girl looked at her grieving mother. She was so very tired.

There was a knock at the door. The woman moved to open the door. There was a figure there dressed in white. Red-tinted with a jeweled forehead, the figure gave the woman hope and grief in balance.

The figure moved in next to the girl's bed. She looked up and said in awe, "Shag-Toth! Have you come to Help heal me or to move on?" The figure nodded.

The Soul Hunter remembered the Great Chance 800 years earlier and thanked Death's Master in his heart for giving his people a new purpose – and acceptance. He said to the small girl, "You are a Great Soul and I felt your Call. I am here to Help."

The woman moved to call the family together. A Shag-Toth had come and the life of Delenn the Third would be resolved within a very short time, either to stay or to go. At least soon the great uncertainty could be resolved and they could begin to heal.


	4. Good vs Evil? It's a Twelve

Scene: Babylon 5, Season 3, Ep 15, "Interludes and Examinations"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: Good vs Evil? It's a Twelve

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Morden moved with purpose toward the quarters for the Ambassadors which breathed a non-Earthlike atmosphere.

His associates were incensed at the intervention by the Vorlons. The attack by the Vorlon fleet could solidify alliances against them and the insult could not be borne.

He looked around, knowing that two of his associates were cloaked behind him. There was no one coming, so he entered the airlock and put on one of the masks. He took the took out the tools necessary to bypass the lock to the Vorlon quarters while waiting for the inner airlock.

They were through. Just two passages over.

Suddenly, between Morden and his associates and their target there was a bright blue light. A figure materialized in front of them. Human-shaped, the figure gasped in the atmosphere. His associates materialized, curious about this.

The figure took out a stick and tapped his head. A bubble of non-colored atmosphere appeared around the head. The figure looked around and spied Morden - and his associates.

"Where am I?"

Morden was used to uncommon sights, and so didn't lose his composure. "Babylon 5. You're in the non-human area. You might want to go," Morden grinned and pointed behind himself, "that way." His associates could take care of this man, with him providing misdirection.

* * *

Harry looked at the man who was in front of him with curiosity. He and the creatures (they appeared to be metallic looking Acromatulas) were fairly dripping with malice. He was familiar with the feeling. It was obvious that whatever they were doing it was something he would consider not good. He didn't move. "And why are you here, if this is the non-human area?"

Morden was annoyed and it showed. "We have business with one of the Ambassadors. It's not your concern."

Harry nodded. It was obvious politics was involved: Harry hated politics. "Do they know you're coming? It's terribly impolite to arrive without warning."

Morden retorted, "And it's rude to delay others in their business."

Harry smirked. "I'm not always polite. You probably should exit and call ahead."

* * *

The Shadows were incensed. This creature was interfering with their purpose. He would be killed. They surged forward.

* * *

Harry saw the creatures move and he erected a Protego. The creatures bounced off and screamed at him. The screaming caused his scar to hurt in a way it hadn't in so many years - far before his Traveling. However, he was quite practiced at moving through the pain. He shot several spells at the creatures. He was reminded of the maze during the third task.

* * *

The man shot some weapon at his associates. This was not acceptable. He moved to take the PPG he had acquired out of his pocket. He would get his shot in.

Morden lined up his shot. The man waved his stick toward him and a scarlet light raced toward him. When it hit, he lost his grip on the PPG and it flew out of his hand. It was really the least of his concerns as he also felt himself struck and he flew backwards against the bulkhead.

He was in a daze when he got up. His associates were also hard pressed. He heard the retreat command.

* * *

The two Acromatulas and the man suddenly disengaged and moved down the hallway and out. Luckily, he had not lost his bubble as he was out of breath.

He heard a rustle behind him. He turned quickly with his wand drawn. There was a figure in a large odd suit and oddly shaped helmet. There was no eye - just a red light or a hole on the front of its face. A rich looking fabric draped down from the large collar. The figure cocked its head and asked, "Who are you?"

Harry thought about it for a moment and said, "There are so many ways of answering that question, but I am myself. My name is Harry Potter."

The figure drew back as though surprised by something. Finally it said, "The circle is interrupted."

Harry smirked. "It isn't always fun traveling in circles. Makes for a tiring trip where you don't get anywhere."

The figure cocked its head again. Finally it replied, "Yes."

Harry didn't feel the figure was a threat, so he finally stood up and pocketed his wand.

"I take it you were the one that the spider-looking creatures were coming to visit."

"Yes."

"Well, I told them to call ahead as it was rude to arrive unannounced."

Harry got the distinct impression that the figure was amused. "Yes."

Harry was led out of the section with the weird atmosphere by the figure in the hulking suit. Several were quite curious with the human who walked next to the Vorlon as it was rather late and none had seen the Vorlon out and about at this time of day (or night as the case might be).

* * *

Zack Allan hated the night shift. He was in charge until 5:00 AM when he would be relieved by the normal officer which monitored the station. He casually glanced at all the monitors, not expecting to see much as it was the "night" part of Babylon 5's cycle. He noticed something curious in one of the monitors. Why was Ambassador Kosh around at this time of night?

He also saw the man next to the Vorlon. The man was wearing an outfit right out of History. He moved the camera to focus in on the man and toggled a switch. "Identify Human on Station Monitor 37."

The computer took a few minutes to respond as it searched through several thousand records for people that were registered on the station. Finally, it said "Subject: Unknown."

"Is there any mention of this individual in any record?"

The computer searched through several databases and records. The door to the security office opened and the man and Vorlon Ambassador entered. The computer happened to answer just as they walked in.

"Confirmed. Identity: Potter, Harry. Subject matches records from the following dates: …" Zack looked at the man and then at the list. There were records dating back for over a hundred years – since before the inception of Earthforce. There were records from several places and times – all unconnected and random.

Zack looked back to the man. He was about to go in to interrogation mode when the computer added one more thing: "Several Records marked: Caution. Several Records marked: Assist upon request. Several Records marked: Apprehend. Several Records marked: Release if Apprehended."

Harry heard the machine-like voice and its descriptions. It was obvious that this wherever he was he had done or would do his Traveling regularly. He still wondered if there was another Harry Potter that had landed himself into the same boat he had landed himself into. He decided that it was more likely than not – because he wasn't in all of the places that the computer listed and he had been doing this for a while now. Of course it could be that it WOULD be him. He was getting quite tired of being the Universe's spittoon.

Zack finally turned to Ambassador. It was obvious that the Vorlon would be less problematic – as strange as that seemed. "Ambassador, what can I do for you?"

Kosh, who had heard the records results, said: "A visitor. Aid him."

Zack turned to the man. Harry said, "It looks like it's late. I just need a cot for the night before we sort out my presence."

Zack stood up and said, "It's kind of late to get you quarters. We do have racks for emergency personnel."

Harry nodded, "That's fine."

The Ambassador bowed his head and left. Zack led the man to a Spartan room with four beds, used when Security was on 24-hour notice and backup was needed close at hand or when there were several prisoners and guards needed to be on call.

Harry took one look at the bed and lay down.

Harry was bone tired. The last couple of trips had tired him out. He had visited Hogwarts in 1982 when Snape became Potions Master and then had landed in some weird world where he met a little Goddess that played pipes. She was traveling with a woman who was apparently her High Priestess and a bunch of guys in Medieval armor. He had helped catch some drunk guy that the surly Knight in the black armor had been after. The little Goddess had kissed his cheek and thanked him for helping to save her mother. It was very confusing – even if the kiss did not seem to be one that came from cute little girls.

He could figure out where he was tomorrow.

* * *

After the man was put up for the night, Zack made his way back to his desk. It was late, but he was certain that someone should be notified. He accessed a menu.

* * *

Michael Garibaldi was in a deep sleep. He was dreaming about Lise Hampton. He was trying to get to a date with her but kept getting interrupted by different people including Jeff, Sheridan, Delenn, his father, G'Kar, Londo, that Ranger Cole, Ivanova, Morden, Kosh, and a host of others. It was a very strange sequence. He had finally arrived at the restaurant and was about to go in when he heard a beeping. He searched his pockets for the link he obviously had on him somewhere when he woke up and realized he was in his quarters on Babylon 5. He cursed to himself as he moved out of bed and then yelled, "Receive!"

His 2IC was in the monitor. Zack had a very weird expression. He recognized when Zack was dealing with something he didn't know what to make of. "Chief, I thought I should call you."

Michael was curious. "What is it?"

In a tone of annoyed confusion, Zack said, "Ambassador Kosh brought a guy in for a room for the night."

Michael was taken aback. "Huh?"

"I know. I saw them coming in the monitors and had the computer do a search. This guy, Potter, has some very weird records. I didn't know what to make of it."

Michael started thinking. "Where is he?"

"Emergency racks. It's late and I couldn't send it on to anyone else."

Michael nodded. "Okay, that'll work. We can keep our eye on him. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

Zack was uncertain. "I don't know. Let me show you what the computer had."

Zack pushed a button and the record came up on the screen. Michael whistled. Finally he said, "That's just about as weird as it gets in this place." He thought for a moment. "Since he was brought by Kosh, it ain't likely he's trouble enough to wake the Captain or Ivanova. I'll come in early and do a check and get it sorted out when the guy wakes up."

"Okay, Chief. Allan Out."

Michael shook his head ruefully. "Only on this nuthouse," he commented to himself. He set his alarm for early and went back to bed, hoping he would arrive at the restaurant in his dream and his date with Lise. Instead, he dreamed about Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and Marvin the Martian.

* * *

Harry awoke to a chime. He sat up and looked around. He heard the chime again and looked to the door. "I'm up!"

The door opened and a new guy came in. He had a black uniform and a weird look on his face. "Hi, I'm Security Chief Michael Garibaldi."

Harry nodded, "I'm Harry Potter, the Universe's Compost Pile. How do you do?"

The man grinned at his comment. "I heard about your arrival from my guy. I wanted to ask you about it."

Harry shrugged. "Sure. Right here?"

The man indicated the door and Harry was led out to a room with snacks. It looked like a small dining room. "I thought I'd let you eat while talking to you. Your records are kind of weird."

Harry looked at the man with an expression which indicated he knew Giribaldi was lying. "Okay, VERY weird. Weird enough that I'm just going to ask questions instead of interrogating you. Someone like you is just weird enough to be normal here on Babylon 5."

Harry chuckled ruefully. "I have to admit, weird is a good descriptor for my existence." Harry accepted some warm drink and a small breakfast.

Michael asked, "So, why did Kosh bring you here last night."

Harry swallowed the bite he had taken and said, "Kosh?"

Michael looked at Harry like he was crazy. "Kosh? The Vorlon? The guy in the Encounter Suit?"

Harry said, "Oh! I didn't know his name. He found me outside of his quarters."

Michael was suspicious. "What were you doing outside of his quarters?"

Harry sighed, "It's a long story. But last night I found myself there right when a guy and two spider-like creatures were making a nuisance of themselves."

Michael sat stock still. He asked harshly, "What happened?"

Harry described his encounter with the man and the creatures and the fact that they had withdrawn. Harry pulled out the odd gun he had picked up off the floor. "The man had this, which I took from him."

Michael looked at the PPG and whistled. "Okay, your story just moved you up the food chain. I have to tell the Captain about this. Right after that, I have to yell at Zack for not checking you for weapons."

Harry shrugged. "Sure, whatever. I was tired enough last night that I forgot the gun. I didn't mean not to mention it."

Garibaldi pressed a small metal item on his hand. He said, "Captain Sheridan."

A voice came through, "What is it, Michael."

"Code 7-R. Fast."

"I'm in the War Room."

"I have a visitor you have to hear."

"Bring him along."

"Okay, on our way. You might want to call Delenn and Ivanova in on this." He paused, "Kosh too."

There was a pause on the other end. "Huh?"

Michael grinned at Harry. "That was my reaction last night when Zack commed me about this guy."

There was another pause. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Captain John Sheridan looked at his link in confusion. Why did Michael ask for Kosh to come. Usually, you came to the Vorlon. Finally, he commed to the Ambassador's quarters. "This is Captain Sheridan."

He heard a voice. "Yes?"

"I am told that I should request you come to a meeting about a visitor. Do you know about this?"

"Yes."

"Will you come?"

"No. Listen to him."

"Who is he?"

There was a pause. "There are mountains. There are pebbles. He is a boulder."

John Sheridan was confused. "A boulder?"

"The circle is deformed." The link died.

As he saw the "End Transmission" message, he thought to himself that sometimes Kosh confused the hell out of him.

* * *

Delenn and Ivanova were both in the War Room with the Captain when Garibaldi made his way in with Harry in tow. Marcus was also there.

Harry looked around the room at the screens flashing, the people bustling, and the frenetic pace. He then looked at the group at the table which the Security Chief was leading him to.

He finally stood there. The Captain said, "Please, have a seat."

Harry sat down. "Hello."

Marcus started. "British?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah. Your accent sounds … London?"

Marcus shook his head. "Arisia Mining Colony. Edge of known space. Grandparents were from London."

Harry's mouth moved to an "O" shape and he nodded.

The Captain said, "I am Captain John Sheridan, in charge of Babylon 5. This is my second in command, Susan Ivanova. The Mimbari Ambassador, Delenn. …."

Harry started when he heard that name. He looked at the beautiful woman curiously. Delenn stared at Harry just as intently. Finally Sheridan asked, "Do you know of Delenn?"

Harry nodded, "She looks different. The last time I met a Delenn, she had no hair."

Delenn was very curious. "You said met 'A' Delenn. Can you explain?"

Harry nodded. "I'll explain in a moment. And you are?" he asked the man in the robe.

"Anla-Shok Marcus Cole."

Harry smiled. He recognized that word. He said in Mimbari, using the Warrior Caste's dialect that he knew, "A strange thing to meet a Human in a Mimbari force."

Marcus stared at Harry with intense curiosity. Marcus himself spoke Adronato, the Grey language of the Religious Caste. He did understand Feek, which was the Dark language of the Warrior Caste though. He replied in Feek, "The Anla-Shok are now both Human and Mimbari. You have a very good accent."

Harry nodded, "The result of a past trip."

Harry switched back to English, to the vast relief of those that didn't speak Mimbari.

"Anyway, I am Harry Potter." He explained his past and his current circumstance. "I have become known to my community as 'The Lone Traveler.'"

Delenn gasped. When everyone looked at her she only said, "The Lone Traveler is a Legend among my people."

Harry sighed. "That has happened in other places and with other societies as well. It seems I am doomed to Travel for reason I still do not understand as of yet."

Everyone noted the deep pain Harry exuded when he made this statement. He shook himself out of it. "Anyway, the first time I Traveled and met a Mimbari, I had to stop some idiot from shooting up the ship with the Leader of their people. In that Universe, I saved a Mimbari named Dukhat from the idiot who was in charge of a ship called 'Prometheus.'"

Everyone now gasped. The incident in question was the beginning of the Earth-Mimbari War – a terrible struggle for both. Harry looked around. "I take it that wasn't this Universe."

Captain Sheridan shook his head with some sadness. "No. A damn shame it wasn't."

Harry nodded. "Well, I am finding there are multiple Universes along multiple timelines and with a multitude of situations and circumstances. I've only been to Universes where there are humans but otherwise I've met the strangest beings."

Everyone was fascinated. Finally Garibaldi said, "Tell them what happened when you came here."

Harry nodded, "Well, last night I found myself in a corridor with a poisonous atmosphere. Using skills I have, I arranged a bubble of regular air to breathe. As I looked around I found myself in front of a man and two large spider-like creatures."

Everyone at the table gasped. Shadows!

Harry described how he had fought them to a withdrawal. He described the man in detail. The Captain took on a grim look. He recognized the description of the man he hated above all others in the known universe.

"After they had run off, the Vorlon (Kosh apparantly) found me outside of his quarters and took me to Security and asked them to help me. The man, Allan, put me up and the Security Chief woke me up. I told him what happened and turned over the gun. And here I am. So, what is the deal with the spiders?"

Everyone at the table was shocked by the account. No one had heard of anyone, not even a Vorlon, that could force two Shadows to flee.

Finally, Delenn (with help from the others) explained the current conflict and its history. Harry got more and more annoyed as he heard it.

Finally, when the explanation was done, Harry stood up and paced. "Merlin! You people are in the same kind of conflict I came from. It gets really, really old, really, really fast."

Sheridan asked, "What do you mean?"

Harry stopped. "Good vs. Evil, Light vs. Dark. The Bad guys create conflict. The Good guys try to keep the status quo. Only it's not Good vs. Evil. It's 'Us vs. Them."

Sheridan, and the others were intensely curious. "Us vs. Them?"

Harry waved his hand in dismissal. "Ideology. Politics. Most people don't consider themselves Evil. They have an opinion and try to get other people to agree. The more powerful ones use whatever methods to get people to agree with them. Of course the only people really hurt are the innocents and the bystanders."

Harry sat down. "Let me tell you about my world."

Harry started explaining the Blood Wars he had grown up around. He told of the competing ideologies. "And the truth is, the whole thing boiled down to the two strongest people: Dumbledore and Voldemort. People called Dumbledore 'Light' and Voldemort 'Dark' but the truth is both used manipulation to get others to follow them."

Harry shook his head. "At some point, the Light won, but nothing really changed. I really wonder how much bloodshed could have been avoided if everyone else had stood up and said, 'We don't want to fight for you two anymore. Go away and leave us to live our own lives.' It'd been much better in the long run I think."

Kosh entered the War Room just then. He walked up and looked at Harry. He then looked at Sheridan. Sheridan asked, "Is this conflict all about you vs. them?"

Kosh said, "Understanding is a three-edged sword."

Sheridan was annoyed. "So you and the shadows fight. And we get caught in the middle."

Kosh nodded. "Yes."

Sheridan was amazed when Kosh confirmed his analysis.

Harry chuckled. He said, "I take it that some of your people are getting tired of it. You want to end it and the leadership just wants you to fight."

Kosh nodded. The people in the room were floored.

Captain Sheridan said thoughtfully, "So the trick is not how to beat them. The trick is to get the Vorlons and the Shadows to see that we really would prefer not to play the game."

Harry clapped as he stood. "Now THAT is a worthy goal." He grinned. "If you can figure that out, you have the answer for every conflict that is based only on ideology. It's a cruel certainty that sometimes you have to fight for your beliefs, but it's also a certainty that you have to decide that the beliefs are worth it." He took on a more serious look. "You might call yourself good and the other guy bad, and you might be right. Certainly you have to protect yourself. But fighting someone else's war? It's ugly and painful and in the end it's fruitless."

Everyone turned toward Harry. Captain Sheridan was about to say something when Harry felt the pull. He waved to the people at the table and turned to walk away.

The War Room looked on in amazement as the man turned into a ball of blue light and moved and disappeared through the air. A haunting music was heard. The room was amazed at what they had seen.

Finally Garibaldi interrupted the silence. "I'd say that was about a twelve on the Babylon 5 Weird-Crap-o-Meter." Sheridan, Ivanova, and Marcus all nodded emphatically in agreement. Delenn just stared at the empty space. Kosh was amused.


	5. Pt1: The Omega Protocols

Scene: Babylon 5, Season 1, Ep 22, "Chrysalis"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: The Omega Protocols, Pt 1

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Harry looked around to where he had currently appeared. To be perfectly honest, he was quite cheerful. His last Traveling had led him to circumstances which were quite … unusual.

He had been in the last world for over a month. He had settled the goblins regarding the break-in similarly to another Traveling he had done in the past. It had been over two years in that world but the goblins were still upset. He had helped direct Kingsley to obtain a royal order to allow him to use veritaserum and other means to obtain the truth of things and to clean up the magical world. He had then received an unexpected request.

He had been asked to help provide a child for two women who, in that world, were paired together. Both had been in love with the Harry who had died while defeating his own Voldemort. Both had taken comfort with each other and had formed a deep bond.

When the two had come to him asking for his children, he had been very reticent. Then they had set the entire Weasley family and the Granger parents on him to get him to agree. What had tipped the balance was Luna Weasley's argument. Luna wanted her sister-in-law and her friend to be happy. Both had wanted to give Harry a family and both were now firmly committed to each other and unlikely to feel comfortable with any other man.

It had taken some work to overcome his own emotional barriers, but in the end it had been a somewhat healing experience. Neither were in love with him as a person. Both knew that he would move on at some point. Both were attractive and eager for their own reasons. They were all adults and so there were no ethical concerns about doing as they asked. Finally, he had agreed. He had even taken steps to secure the Potter fortune for the children that would come.

When he had started this new existence, he couldn't have imagined that it would land him in such a position. He shook his head. It was time to concentrate on where he had come to.

This place looked somewhat familiar to him. It was dark and dingy but it looked like … suddenly he heard voices. He moved to see where they came from.

He recognized the man in uniform facing three people. Behind him was another man in uniform. What was strange was that the three people could obviously see the man behind but didn't look nervous at all.

He saw the other man in uniform raise his weapon. He grasped his wand and yelled, "Protego Maxima!"

The shot from the weapon hit the shield that was now covering Michael Garibaldi and it ricocheted off in a random direction. Everyone in the bay turned. Harry quickly shot a stunner at the man in uniform that had tried to shoot Garibaldi in the back. He dropped immediately. The three Garibaldi had been facing jumped away, trying to escape. Garibaldi winged one and Harry shot several Incarcerous spells, tagging the other two. He then stunned the man Garibaldi had gotten.

Garibaldi looked at Harry and then looked around and then looked back.

"Who are you?" Garibaldi was wound tight. The only thing holding him back from shooting was that this guy had apparently saved his life.

Harry put away his wand and said, "Harry Potter, Traveler." He looked at the downed man in uniform and said, "Why was this guy trying to shoot you in the back?"

Garibaldi looked to see who it was and cursed. "Damn!" He turned back to Harry. "How did you stop him?"

Harry paused and then finally said, "The short answer is magic. It's obvious that there's something happening and you might want to clear it up. I can explain it when there's time."

Garibaldi thought about it for a brief moment and then nodded sharply. He was about to link in to the Commander but then cursed. He didn't know if the comms were secure enough. "I need to get a message to the Commander but this is too big to put over the link." He looked around him and cursed again.

Harry raised his hand and Garibaldi looked at him curiously. He took his wand and said, "I can set restrain them for about three hours. By then, you can probably have your people collect them."

Garibaldi nodded, curious. Harry performed a Vulnera Sanentur on the wound of the man Garibaldi winged. He didn't know how deep the cut was but he knew that if the spell was powerful enough for a Sectrumsempra it was most likely powerful enough for this.

When the bleeding stopped, Harry moved all four of the downed men to one location and ensured all four were stunned and tied up with Incarcerous spells.

Garibaldi looked at the four and back at Harry and then back to the men. "Okay, that's really useful." He quickly grabbed Jack's link in case he somehow became free – he didn't want Jack to be able to get word to any accomplices. He then looked at Harry. "I want you with me. If anyone tries to stop us, I am giving you blanket authorization to use your hocus-pocus to get them out of the way."

Harry nodded. Garibaldi then moved swiftly off, with Harry following closely. Twice other security gaurds called out, wondering what was happening. Twice Garibaldi called he was going to the Commander.

Finally, Garibaldi led Harry onto the Command Deck. Commander Sinclair looked at his Security Chief and asked, "Michael! What's wrong?" He didn't ask who the man was as it was apparent that Michael trusted him.

Michael motioned the Commander over to the Commander's station urgently. Harry followed and then turned away, keeping an eye on everyone.

Michael and the Commander looked over and saw Harry standing guard. The Commander quietly asked, "Who is he?"

"A guy that just saved my life. That's not important now. You have to get word to the President! That Deveraux guy that 'Escaped' was let go by Jack. Jack just tried to shoot me in the back. This guy used some hocus-pocus to stop him. I just found out that the components Deveraux was smuggling were part of a jamming device set for the Gold Channel to be triggered when Earthforce One hits Io. These guys had PPGs with no Serial Numbers which means Black Ops." Garibaldi looked at his friend solemnly. "Jeff, their going to kill the President!"

Jeffrey Sinclair turned to the command center staff and sharply ordered, "I need Gold Channel One, Priority Alpha! NOW!"

Harry remembered something that he had learned during his last visit to this set of worlds. "Clark is in on it. I will explain why I say that when there's a free moment."

Sinclair looked at Harry, horrified. There was only one Clark that was close to the President.

The Communications Deck Officer started furiously working his board. In about thirty seconds he said, "We have Earthforce One!"

Sinclair barked "Put it to my Desk!"

Sinclair rushed to stand in front of the screen. The aged and irritated face of the President of the Earth Alliance appeared on his screen. The President asked, "What is it Commander? We're about to jump from Mars and I have a speech to give in less than five hours."

With great deliberation, Sinclair said with great formality, "Mr. President. Due to evidence my people just uncovered, I declare Omega Protocols. Protocols: Zeus's Chariot, Omega Apollo, Omega Dolos, Omega Omega Optimus. I repeat. Protocols: Zeus's Chariot, Omega Apollo, Omega Dolos, Omega Omega Optimus!"

Santiago's face changed from irritation to a horrified pallor. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, Sir! I wouldn't call the Protocols if I wasn't certain."

"You called Dolos. What about Ares?"

"Not enough information. Possible."

Santiago said, "Hold on." The screen went to the Seal of the President of Earth Alliance for twenty seconds. It then cleared and Santiago's face reappeared in the screen. Santiago looked at Sinclair thoughtfully and then said, "My itinerary just changed. I will be arriving for my announcement regarding Alien relations at Babylon 5 instead of Io." He paused and asked, "I have to trust at least one of the Joint Chiefs or we're sunk. Which one?"

Sinclair thought about it for a moment and said, "Netter. Hague. Maybe Leftcourt. I never served with any of the others but I know Netter is very dogged when it comes to these things. Hague I served under. Leftcourt is old school, and would never countenance it."

Santiago nodded. "Leftcourt is inspecting the escort group. EAS Juno will soon be Earthforce One. No pomp."

Sinclair nodded. "Yes, Sir! We'll have everything tied up for your inspection when you arrive."

"Zeus Out."

The screen blanked out. Sinclair looked at Michael. "It's forty-four hours from Mars to Babylon 5 for an Omega Class Destroyer at full burn. We have exactly that much time to get everything locked down and tied up in a neat little bow."

Garibaldi nodded. "I have, or at least had, Deveraux, his two flunkies, and Jack tied up." He turned toward Harry. "This guy did something which knocked them out and tied them up." Harry turned when he was obviously being referred to.

Sinclair looked at Harry as well. "And exactly how did you become involved in this?"

Harry shrugged. "It's a long story. I arrived … in an unusual manner. You might have some records of me but you won't believe them if you do."

Garibaldi said, "Well, until it's all sorted out you're with me. Any problem with that?"

Harry shook his head and grinned wryly. "I'm easy."

Michael gave Harry the gimlet eye. He said to the Commander, "I'm putting Zack in Jack's place. Lou takes Zack's place. I need guys I can trust." Sinclair nodded.

The two left back towards the security nightmare down below.

Harry was curious. "What are the Omega Protocols?"

Garibaldi looked at Harry, trying to decide if he should explain. He finally decided that the guy had seen enough that he was in it already. "Omega Protocols are for assassination plots involving the government. The different god names are political entities. Only command level personnel learn the whole thing. But anyone hearing Omega Protocols knows that it's hitting the fan."

Harry nodded. He thought about it for several minutes. "If I were to guess, I would say the first was the target. Zeus didn't ride a chariot but I heard the President refer to himself as Zeus, so I assume that's Earthforce One. If it was his home that was threatened it would probably have been Olympus. Omega Apollo and Omega Dolos probably indicate the likely sources of the plot. Apollo was Zeus's son and likely the next in line to the throne, the 'Rising Sun' if you will. Dolos was the personification of trickery so that means … spy agencies?" Harry shrugged. "The current equivalent to MI-6 or the CIA or the KGB anyway. Ares would be … the military or the Defense Council. The last part, Omega Omega, was the likely location for it to take place." He paused. "I didn't get the Optimus thing though. The only Optimus I know about is Optimus Prime."

Garibaldi laughed. "You're a bright one, aren't ya? The main transfer point in the Sol system is Station Prime off Io. Station Prime. Optimus. Get it?"

Harry laughed. "Transformers are great!" He considered the idea with amusement. "Anyway, my knowledge is just a product of spending too much time reading about Greek and Roman deities. An idiosyncrasy from where I went to school."

Garibaldi looked at Harry as they walked, trying to figure him out. "Ever heard of ESID? Eyes?"

Harry shrugged. "Nope."

Garibaldi nodded his head thoughtfully. He would try to figure it out before he sat the guy down.

* * *

The next twenty four hours saw a veritable hornet's nest stirred up with station personnel. Harry had spent most of the time accompanying Michael Garibaldi as he ran around the station, trying to put everything together. When asked, Michael told his people that Harry was a special consultant and they shouldn't ask anymore questions.

All Garibaldi knew was that the guy could protect his back. If the plot hadn't already involved station personnel, he wouldn't have even considered using him. As it was, he had been quite invaluable.

The guy had reluctantly provided some substance made with his hocus-pocus that guaranteed that Jack sang like a bird. Michael was somewhat suspicious that he "happened to have it one him." It was unsettling to be truthful. With the security of the President and the whole Earth Alliance on the line, Sinclair had reluctantly approved it.

Nothing from the interrogation could be used in a Court of Law, but Jack was already going down for Treason. You didn't try to kill your superior officer from behind without heavy consequences.

When the scope of what Jack knew of the plot was uncovered, the command staff was stunned. The Earth Alliance President would arrive the next day and, as Garibaldi had pointed out repeatedly, the fan would soon be spewing in all directions.

Finally, Harry was sat down by Michael Garibaldi in the Commander's quarters. Garibaldi decided that Harry's story was not likely to be something that could be put in a report and he didn't want to take any chances.

Susan Ivanova and Jeffrey Sinclair were also present, as was Steven Franklin.

Stephen was very curious. He had been present when Jack was given the truth serum. He had monitored the man's vitals to ensure that he hadn't been harmed. So he asked the question that was most on his mind.

"So, who are you and how the hell did you get involved with this?"

Michael interjected before Harry could answer. "I just want to know how some guy from twentieth century Great Britain ended up on Babylon 5, especially one with such unusual abilities."

The other three were incredulous at Michael's question. Michael was intense. Harry was just amused.

Harry looked at the people facing him. "My name is Harry Potter. I am a magic wielding wizard from Great Britain on Earth. I was born 31 July, 1980." He turned his head toward Michael. "How did you figure it out?"

The other three in the room were still incredulous. Michael took on a satisfied look.

"The magic part I was told about when he showed up. The fact that he could knock out four guys, heal the one I shot, and provide some weird truth serum pretty much proved that to me."

He turned his head toward his colleagues. "Right after we left the command deck, Harry asked me a question: What are the Omega Protocols? Not that strange considering it's an Earth Force thing. I don't know everything about them but I know that it involves assassination in the government. Susan, Stephen: Do you know all the details of the protocols?"

Both shook their heads. "Right. Command level. But, Harry here made an educated guess. He guessed the one about Earthforce One from something the President said. He also guessed the meanings of Apollo, Dolos, and Ares. Apollo was obvious as the next in line to Zeus which is the President. He guessed Dolos as spy agencies and Ares as the Joint Chiefs or the Military in general."

He turned toward Harry, watching to see his reactions. "It was interesting that 'Spy Agencies' meant 'CIA, MI-6, or the KGB' to him. Those agencies haven't been in existence for the better part of two centuries. The KGB was 250 years. 1991 to be exact. I asked him if he had heard of ESID or Eyes and he hadn't. That meant he didn't know Earth Alliance structure. He also referred to the Joint Chiefs as the 'Defense Council.' From Military History, that was Great Britain in the twentieth. His accent was a clue as well. Also, look at his clothes."

Garibaldi grinned then. "His reaction to twentieth century toys was the final clue. How many people still know about Optimus Prime of the Transformers?"

Harry laughed as he looked at the Commander. "I would guess that Michael is an excellent investigator, correct?"

The Commander grinned. "I would say so. It helps that he's so paranoid and suspicious." Susan and Stephen were also grinning. Michael just looked smug.

Harry shook his head in amusement. "All of the best fighters on the side of the good guys seem to be paranoid bastards who don't trust much of anyone other than their immediate comrades, not even the people in charge. They always seem to point out the stupidity that no one else comments on or sees and they take betrayal as a personal affront. They are the ones you always want at your back when things go south. They're always right when they figured things out, and it's so annoying that you want to just kick the crap out of them – lovingly of course – for being so damned cocky. Is that about right?"

Garibaldi took on a picked-upon expression as the other three laughed at the extremely accurate description of Michael Garibaldi as Security Chief of Bablyon 5.

Finally Garibaldi grinned as his friends. "Just remember: Garibaldi is always right! As long as you remember that, everything will be hunky-dory."

Stephen shook his head. The Commander and Susan both wanted to smack him – lovingly of course.

Harry finally said, "Anyway, as pointed out by Michael, I am from the past – or A past anyway." He then told his story. He also explained that he had been to different universes with circumstances related to Babylon 5. That was how he knew Clark was involved.

Michael called up the records he had found and the command staff was convinced that Harry was telling the truth. Finally the Commander said, "Personally I am thankful that you showed up here. I can imagine worse fates than traveling from Universe to Universe, helping out as you can. You certainly helped us. So, what happens when you're done?"

Harry looked up thoughtfully as he answered. "There's always something that happens which is the actual reason why I show up on the scene. It's not always apparent. Sometimes, I save a person's life. Sometimes, I help uncover a truth which will allow the people involved to move to better and more effective solutions. Sometimes it's big. Sometimes it's small." He looked at the Commander with intensity. "Whatever it is, I promise that things will be better than they were before I showed up."

The Commander nodded. This was a man of vast integrity. He could admire the fortitude that Harry Potter showed in living his life as he did.

Susan volunteered to show Harry to the temporary quarters that Michael had set him up in the night before. Harry agreed.

As they walked, it was obvious that Susan wanted to ask him a question. Finally, he just asked. "Something on your mind?"

Susan Ivanova looked at her current companion and finally said (with proper Russian stoicism of course), "Any advice for me?"

Harry thought about it. He remembered something he had noticed from a previous Traveling. "Take a chance when opportunity presents itself. Personal happiness is possible."

Susan Ivanova looked at the odd visitor. He laughed. She said, "What?"

Harry shook his head in amusement. "Your look reminded me of my old Headmistress. I can't count the number of times she had that exact expression."

Susan was a little annoyed as she asked, "And what is that expression?"

Harry took on a somewhat solemn look as he said, "I believe it can best be expressed as: 'I hold ultimate authority here. You will behave as I consider proper or the punishment I enforce will make you regret your mother ever even meeting your father. I hold your future in the palm of my hand. Now settle down and do as I say.'" He grinned. "I think that's the expression."

Susan looked at Harry. She then cracked the smallest smile conceivable. "I think I would have liked to meet your Headmistress."

Harry laughed. "Oh I think if you had attended my school she would have made you prefect, Head Girl, and her choice to replace her when she retired." They arrived at Harry's door. As he went in he said, "Professor McGonagall was one of my favorite people."

Susan had a small, smug expression as she went to her own quarters.


	6. Pt2: The Omega Protocols

Scene: Babylon 5, Season 1, Ep 22, "Chrysalis"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: The Omega Protocols, Pt 2

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

The command staff was present when the President arrived, flanked by a four guard detail carrying PPG rifles as well as General Robert Leftcourt. A squad of security guards followed the General. The command staff saluted the President.

Luis Santiago briefly saluted. "Forget the pomp and ceremony. We have no time. The press release I had to give out to explain why the speech was delayed probably tipped them off. I went silent right after they were told. Leftcourt here has been arranging things with the Joint Chiefs that he feels most reliable. I'm hoping that the lack of communication might make the plotters think that maybe I did die and it just hasn't been reported yet. That won't last long."

Commander Sinclair nodded. "We have the reports ready. As Military Governor I authorized … unusual methods to get the information, but it's rock solid."

Leftcourt's eyes took on a gleam as he said, "Unusual methods, Commander?"

Sinclair looked around to see who was listening before saying, "I'll explain when we get to a secure area, General."

The President and General Leftcourt followed Commander Sinclair as he led them to his office.

Two of the President's guards stayed outside with the most of the security detail securing the corridor. The President took the Commander's desk with the remaining two guards taking positions behind him. The remaining members of the security details did sweeps for electronic bugs before nodding to the General. Leftcourt said, "All Secure, Mr. President."

Santiago nodded. "Very well." He looked at the Babylon 5 staff. "At Ease. Names?"

Commander Sinclair had relaxed at the President's At Ease. "This is my Executive Officer Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova, head of Babylon 5 security Chief Michael Garibaldi; Chief Medical Officer Stephen Franklin."

Santiago nodded. "Why the CMO?"

"He monitored the unusual methods that General Leftcourt asked about. He's also part of the command staff."

Santiago nodded. "Let me see it."

Michael Garibaldi took the file pouch he had been holding and handed it to one of the two members of the security detail. The man scanned it for toxic substances, reported it as clean and laid it in front of the President.

The President started reviewing the reports, handing each page off to Leftcourt as he finished it. When he was done he asked curiously, "Who is this Special Consultant Harry Potter? Where did he come from?"

Sinclair paused. "Mr. President, if I told you you'd think I was insane."

Leftcourt was annoyed. "The President asked a question. Out with it, Soldier!"

Sinclair took on a resigned look and said, "Harry Potter is a human from Earth. Great Britain to be exact. Born 1980. He's also a wizard."

The visiting people all looked at Sinclair as if he was insane. Sinclair gave a small smile as he said, "I told you, Sir." He walked to the wall and pushed a button. "Command Authorization. Station Record: Harry Potter. Display."

On the screen on the wall and at the desk was a display of the information they had on Harry Potter. The President and General Leftcourt were incredulous at what was displayed on the screens. Both noted the dates and locations which made up the report. Santiago only said, "Impossible!"

The command staff all had to hide their snickers. They had all been where the President and Leftcourt were now.

Sinclair said, "I can call for him. I think he could prove persuasive."

Santiago looked at Leftcourt and then said, "Do it!"

Sinclair nodded to Garibaldi. Garibaldi opened his link and said, "Lou."

"Yes, Chief."

"Bring our special guest to the Commander's Office."

"Roger. Welch Out."

Garibaldi said to Sinclair. "Eight minutes at best, Commander." Sinclair knew that already. Garibaldi only said it for the benefit of the President and General Leftcourt.

Leftcourt ordered one of the security detail to tell the guards in the hall to let the man through when he arrived. General Leftcourt then turned to the Babylon 5 Commander. "Okay, since we have a few minutes, explain 'Unusual Methods.'"

Sinclair addressed his comments to the President. "When we were interrogating Jack Rollins, we weren't getting anywhere. He acted smug and condescending, seemingly unconcerned that he had been caught. It was if he had an ace in the hole. With at least one member of station personnel being a part of this, we were worried that there were others involved. We debated a telepathic scan by our resident commercial telepath, but we didn't want to get anyone else involved until we had something. Mr. Potter had already proved himself reliable by helping to save Mr. Garibaldi's life. He already knew what we knew and so Mr. Garibaldi kept him close as a precaution. When the argument about scanning ended in frustration, Mr. Potter claimed that he happened to have recently picked up a vial of a truth serum so powerful that lying was impossible. Knowing of his unusual origins, Mr. Garibaldi actually brought it to me rather than dismissing it out of hand. Due to the extreme danger because of a possible compromise, I authorized its use with the condition that Doctor Franklin monitor Rollins' condition. After several test questions which seemed to indicate that he couldn't lie and answered any question that was asked, we started asking about the plot. The report you have is a direct result. We found two other members of station security that had been planted, as well as the location of evidence we would otherwise have been unable to find."

Jeffrey Sinclair's face took on a look of regret. "I knew we were blowing the chance at lawful convictions but the security of Earth Alliance was at stake and I felt I had no choice. I will accept personal responsibility for any action taken."

The President waved his hand dismissively. "Forget about a reprimand, Commander. I've always backed your decisions in the past, and that isn't changing now. Lucky for you, you have a track record of being right."

The President sat back in the Commander's chair and said, "This is a mess! And according to this report my Vice President is at the center of it! Who can I trust?"

Leftcourt snapped to attention. "You have the support of the military, Mr. President. We have a constitutional responsibility to guard against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

The command staff also stood at attention. Commander Sinclair echoed the General's statement. "Babylon 5 is at your disposal."

The President looked at his two subordinates and said, "Thank you, Gentlemen. I get the idea that both will be vital in the coming days and weeks." He then cursed. At the concerned look on the face of the people in the room, he explained. "Commander, one of the announcements that I was going to be making during the New Year's address was the appointment of the first Ambassador to the Mimbari Homeworld. Up until recently, they refused to accept any of the choices we presented to them. However, they finally agreed and only one name was acceptable." He looked directly at his Military Governor.

"That name is Jeffrey Sinclair, current Commander of Babylon 5."

The Babylon 5 staff were stunned. Commander Sinclair was almost struck speechless. Finally he said, "I serve at the pleasure of the President. But who will take my place here?"

Santiago stood and began pacing. "I've been thinking about that for the better part of two weeks. Babylon 5 is the showpiece of Earthforce. It proves to every other government that we are strong and stable. We can't afford to have some idiot take over."

He paused in his pacing and said, "Clark has been pushing some very questionable names. I thought he was being an idiot himself, but that's obviously not the case." The President leaned against the Commander's desk. "I could have picked any of the Joint Chiefs, but it's now obvious that we will need them right where they are. Any we don't need, we don't want here. Also, it would have been a demotion. It has to be a man of command rank."

He sighed. "The man I want would upset the Mimbari. That's one reason I haven't gone ahead yet. When this announcement comes out, though, I have to decide." He looked at the Commander. "Who would you pick?"

Sinclair took on a thoughtful look. "I've met a number of different Captains and Commanders. I can't think of one that I'd pick without taking time to think about it. Off the top of my head, if I had my choice I'd pick my XO."

Santiago shook his head. "This is not a criticism of you, Lt. Commander Ivanova, but in this circumstance I need an already established Commander or Captain. If Sinclair had been promoted to another command position, you would have been my first choice to be promoted to Commander of B5. But Sinclair is being moved out of the Military in a somewhat lateral move to Ambassador. This means I need to fill the position with a somewhat lateral move."

Leftcourt asked, "Who's the man you want, Mr. President?"

Santiago looked at his General and said, "Captain John Sheridan."

Leftcourt took on a look of concentration as he considered this. Sinclair knew of the man and respected him. However, that would definitely upset the Mimbari.

Santiago continued, "He's an original thinker. I know he looks like … well, his record is militarily sound. He does have diplomatic experience. Even with the Mimbari. But the kicker is: If I'm going to replace the original thinking of Jeffrey Sinclair, I need to do it with someone who can think just as originally. And that's Sheridan."

The group was interrupted by a voice at the door. "That's an outstanding choice."

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. The President of the Earth Alliance noted the very casual look of the man who had just entered.

Commander Sinclair said, "Mr. President. I would like to introduce Special Consultant Harry Potter."

Santiago stood. "Mr. Potter, I hear you have some unusual abilities."

Harry smiled as he walked further into the room. "You could say that."

Santiago crossed his arms. "And how would you demonstrate that?"

Harry thought about it. "Can I ask for a volunteer from the guards in the hall?"

Santiago nodded to Leftcourt. Leftcourt sent one of the detail out to get a volunteer.

"Order the man to subdue me as soon as he enters." He looked at the other security members. "I give my word that the man will come out of this unharmed."

Leftcourt took on an expectant look. He didn't expect this man to do well against the trained security personnel that made up this detail.

Within a few short moments Leftcourt shouted to the man entering, "Subdue this man!"

The man quickly reached for his sidearm – but he was too slow. Harry fluidly twisted to his right and down while bringing his wand to bear. He quickly shot a non-verbal Petrificus Totalus and then an Incarcerous spell before the man fell to the floor.

Everyone in the room, except Michael Garibaldi who had seen Harry fight already, was totally stunned at the demonstration. Garibaldi only grinned. The other security members had reflexively drawn at the sudden movement.

Leftcourt shouted out, "Stand Down!" The members relaxed sheepishly. Leftcourt looked at Harry and said, "Mr. Potter. Are there many people like you around?"

Harry chuckled as he released the spells and helped the downed volunteer up. "I believe that in this universe I am somewhat unique."

Leftcourt nodded his head in satisfaction. "That's good, son. Because you scare the hell out of me." His amusement as he said this was obvious.

Santiago had relaxed out of his crossed-arms position and stepped forward. He presented his hand to Harry as he said, "I believe that my doubts have been answered. Hello, Mr. Potter. My name is Luis Santiago and I am President of the Earth Alliance."

Harry shook the man's hand and said, "I am pleased to meet you. I am Harry Potter, Fury of the Light, the Man-Who-Triumphed, Master of Death, also called the Lone Traveler."

Leftcourt had also come forward to shake the man's hand. "If I thought it would do anything, I'd offer you a job."

Harry chuckled. "Well, I would unfortunately be away far too often."

Everyone sat down at President's invitation. The Military members could finally relax. The President said to Harry, "Tell me your story."

Harry nodded. "Mr. President, are you familiar with the concept of the Multiverse? Good. I was born in …"

When Harry was done telling his story, General Leftcourt had only one thing to say. "Mr. Potter?" Harry looked at the General with interest. "If I ever condescendingly call you son again, you have my permission to verbally slap me down. I don't think I would be anywhere near as sane and friendly if I was in your position."

Harry chuckled, "As I've said in the past: It's my life. I've come to find that it isn't the worst existence that could be conceived of. There are even," he thought of his last Traveling, "rewards."

Santiago nodded. "As you came in, you stated that John Sheridan would be an outstanding choice. Why?"

Harry looked at the President solemnly. "In the times that I have come to Universes similar to this one, let's call them Babylon 5 universes, I learned something: There is a storm coming. A storm on a galactic level. There will soon be fighting among almost all the races. Earth had been taken over by Clark and kept out of it, but Babylon 5 – along with most of the other colonies – broke away over the death of thousands of civilians under Clark's orders. Clark was being influenced by the very race that started it all. They put him in power because they were terrified that the humans would become involved.

"The rallying point for the people that were dedicated to ending the war was Babylon 5. The leader of Babylon 5 was John Sheridan. He was personally trained by the other Ancient Race involved to overcome the enemy. In the end, he decided to get the humans – and the other races – out from under BOTH of these other races. He's a good man, and an outstanding choice for leader."

Santiago and Leftcourt both considered Harry's words. Leftcourt finally said, "I don't know if I like the idea of a man who would break away for any reason."

Harry shook his head in irritation. "So a Captain should just accept the order of a madman to allow himself, his people, and innocent civilians to be killed indiscriminately?"

Leftcourt sighed. "No. If I was in that position, I would wish I had the fortitude to do the same. Still, it's not something to do lightly."

Harry said, "And he didn't. He was just trying to keep the galaxy from falling apart."

Santiago got annoyed. "So Clark is under the influence of Aliens? That's rich. He's always pushing the anti-Alien rhetoric." Santiago paused and then said, "It makes me wonder if staying at home wouldn't be better."

No one expected the reaction Harry had. He laughed.

Everyone in the room looked at the man as though he were crazy. Harry finally got himself under control. Luis Santiago looked at Harry and asked with some asperity, "Something amusing, Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked at the Earth Alliance President and said, "Not really, no. I just can't believe that so many things never change."

Sinclair was curious. "Never change?"

Harry turned to Sinclair. "Politicians when they get scared always push isolationism. We can't let anyone in, because they are dangerous. We can't live among them because we might get killed. It's silly!"

Harry stood and started pacing. "I have made hundreds of visits to hundreds of worlds. My parents were part of a society so isolated that they were left behind by over a century." He stopped and addressed the President directly. "When I went to school, every assignment was completed on parchment. Using quill pens made from goose feathers. The modern pen was invented in the early 1800s and mass produced in Great Britain in the 1820s. Good fountain pens were available from the mid-1800s. I started school in 1991! Do you see how ridiculous the idea is?"

Harry's audience was spellbound by his passion.

"Innovation was stifled. The society was stifled. Corruption was rampant and bribery for political influence was considered about a minor offense at best. The society separated themselves in 1669 and progress halted. Stopped! Innovation was legally enjoined!" Harry paused for a moment and said, "Enjoined meaning discouraged instead of the other definition which means encouraged." He said to himself, "I always wondered how a word could become it's own opposite."

He shook his head to clear it. "Anyway! Innovation was legally repressed! Does that sound like a healthy situation?"

Everyone in the room shook their heads, including the members of the security detail which were also caught up in what was being said. "This Clark guy was influenced to stop humans from having influence. The race that's behind it is totally and completely terrified that humans will have influence among the other races." He looked at Leftcourt. "You're a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, yes?"

Leftcourt nodded. "That's correct."

He turned toward Santiago. "And you're the President."

Santiago said, "Yes."

"And why do you have those titles? Why President and not Prime Minister? Why Joint Chiefs and not the Defense Council? Because it's obvious that human government is based on the Colonies." At everyone's confusion he said, "Sorry, British here. I meant the United States of America. A country which broke away from my own Britain when we had a particularly mad King, as happened from time to time because of the inbreeding. A country which stayed off of the world stage until they were forced to become part of it. But … and this is a big but … But, once it gained influence it influenced every other nation on Earth! For centuries now. They became _the_ superpower."

Harry looked at the people before him in amazement. "Don't you see? That's what we do. That's what _humans_ do! We go out among all the other societies and say, 'This is us! This is why we're better! Don't you want to be just like us?' Empires did it by force but empires always fall. Persia, Greece, the Holy Roman Empire. The USSR mixed force and economics. Even the British Empire is gone. Gone. All of them. The Commonwealth, though. How long was there a British Commonwealth?

Santiago said, "Actually there still is. Great Britain is one of the founding members of the Earth Alliance and the King still has some ceremonial authority in many nations around the world."

"Right. We finally said, 'Okay. No more colonies. Everyone governs themselves but the Queen or King will graciously be your titular Head of State with final appeal authority.' Britain still endures. The United States still influences you, two hundred years later. Why? Because the ideas were good and we know it. And we aren't afraid to tell everyone and get them all to agree to with us. Humans should never be afraid of changing because of Alien influence. The Aliens should be afraid because humans will spread their own influence. Militarily. Economically. Socially. We humans create pluralities. And then we lead them all! That's what we _do_. That's who _we are_."

He stood and said, "Look around you. Look! What do you see?"

As this didn't seem to be a rhetorical question, Sinclair finally said, "It's my office."

Harry grinned. "Right. The Commander's Office of what will be, if it isn't already, the central diplomatic station in all the galaxy. And it belongs to a _human_! What does that tell you?"

The faces of the Harry's audience took on a look of wonder as they considered their environment. No one had ever named the station so to them. The station took on a small amount of sanctity in their minds when they considered the importance of the place they were currently located.

Harry then felt the pull. "I'm about to go now." He took the veritaserum out of his pocket and looked at it. He walked over to Sinclair and said, "This is a two dram vial. About 270 drops. We've used three. I'm entrusting this to the Commander of Babylon 5 alone. Get it to Sheridan when you go to Minbar."

Sinclair took the vial and gripped it. "Thank you."

Santiago, Leftcourt, and the security detail were wall confused. "Where are you going?" Santiago asked.

Harry shrugged. "I never know. Somewhere I can make a difference." He was about to turn away when he had one final thought. "Oh, and Commander Ivanova?"

Susan gave Harry the look she would become so famous for, "Yes?"

Harry grinned. "I should probably warn you that those of us of British descent can be a romantic and _randy_ lot. Ta!"

He turned away and compressed into a small ball of blue light which then rushed away and disappeared. There was music in the background, proud and triumphant, which soon faded away.

Everyone looked at Susan, wondering what Harry Potter's last comment meant. Susan looked around her at the looks she was getting and said to herself, "If I ever get my hands on him, he'll learn a thing or two about punishment and proper behavior. Let me tell you." No one understood what the hell she was talking about.

* * *

Random Consequences

* * *

ISN Broadcast, 3 January, 2259

"… the President of the Earth Alliance's speech, unexpectedly given from Babylon 5, signaled an dramatic initiative for the Earth Alliance. President Santiago invited all races and worlds … would work to ensure that all voices would be … called on humans everywhere to take pride in their sense of community … Earth Alliance leader also announced the appointment of a new Ambassador to the Mimbari homeworld …."

* * *

Mimbari Homeworld, 15 June 2260

Sinclair stood, thinking about the Warrior Caste recruits that had proved to have issues in working with the Humans among the Anla-Shok. They were magnificent warriors but hidebound in their attitudes. He needed something … ANYTHING … to demonstrate that humans had just as much a right to be here as the Mimbari.

Suddenly there was a blue light. The light coalesced into the figure of a man and Sinclair, remembering, grinned. The Universe provides after all.

When the man fully appeared, Sinclair calmly walked forward. "Hello, Harry. I'm glad you could stop in."

The man who had appeared turned and said, "Commander Sinclair! Or should I say Ambassador Sinclair?"

"Actually, it's Ranger-One, but you can call me Jeff. How have you been?"

Harry looked around. "Actually, I just left the Commander's Office aboard the Babylon Station after we prevented the death of Santiago."

Sinclair nodded. "You're in the same Universe. With President Santiago being saved, we have had a much smoother time than if Clark had become president."

Harry grinned. "Glad to be of help." He looked around. "I wonder why here and now. How have you been?"

Sinclair led Harry toward his quarters. "I've been well. Through a few inordinately convoluted steps, I have become the leader of the Anla-Shok. I find it rewarding."

Harry nodded. "How is everyone back at Babylon 5?"

Jeffrey said, "Things are going well. Earth has been more involved with Galactic peace. An invasion by the Centauri against the Narn was broken by Earthforce. The Centauri, of course, were officially upset with it – even if the Centauri Ambassador didn't seem all that broken up by the idea. A Shadow agent was prevented from doing business on the station without constant and highly secret surveillance. The conspirators in that little plot you helped uncover were .. taken care of. Some ended in prison. Some had to be taken out. Some are thought to have died in accidents – if one didn't know of the secret prison colony Earth Alliance has. Clark, according to reports, is having quite a lot of fun trying to rule while negotiating with some senators, intelligence agents, and a few members of the military that also landed there. He's finding it isn't as much fun trying to control convicts."

Harry nodded, grinning. Sinclair paused and then took on a smug look. "Oh. You remember Susan Ivanova, of course. Yes?"

Harry said, "Oh yes. How is she?"

"According to reports from my man there: Very well. Their relationship was originally rocky but they have come to an accord. It was good that they weren't in the same chain of command and no regs prevented … happy coincidences from taking place."

Harry grinned. "I'm glad she took my advice then."

Sinclair's smile took on an angelic look. "Oh, yes. Of course, she still wants to thank you personally for your remarks. She said something about 'punishment and proper behaviour'?"

Harry looked Sinclair's face. He didn't like that look. It reminded him of his godfather for some reason. "I look forward to talking to her if I ever come back this way. I rarely end in the same universe though."

Sinclair nodded. "That's too bad. Susan would be so upset at having missed seeing you."

Harry shuddered for some unknown reason. "Well, tell her I said hello and congratulations."

Sinclair nodded. Susan would have to be content with Harry's look of nervousness being described to her.

Sinclair got a gleam in his eye. "Do you mind helping with a demonstration?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure. What do you need?"

Sinclair thought of his several Warrior-Caste members. "I wanted some recruits to test themselves against a human. They can't conceive that a human could be dangerous to them."

Harry grinned. "Any limitations?"

Sinclair said solemnly, "Just don't kill them. And try not to move with your special skills – just dodge the way a human can." He smiled. "I do thank you. I had decided, just before your arrival that I could use some help with it."

Harry grinned. "Happy to help."

* * *

He moved back until he was about twenty feet from the eight Warriors. He then called out in perfect Warrior-Caste Feek, "Come at me with the intent to kill. You have no chance otherwise."

The group in front of Harry included the eight Warrior-Caste recruits that had the biggest problem working with their human counterparts. The Warriors were upset at being called out in their own language by a puny human. All took out their fighting pikes and began moving toward the human. Harry took out his wand and began _moving_.

Within a few minutes the Warrior-Caste members were all incarcerated in ropes and locked into place. Harry turned to Sinclair. "Good enough?"

Sinclair grinned. "Yes, thank you. Can you please release them now?" Harry did so. Sinclair then addressed the recruits. "I will admit my old friend Harry, for all that he is human, does have some unusual abilities. Imagine if he had been holding a PPG instead of his wand? Instead of being stopped – you would all be dead. Can you imagine, now, that it might be possible that a human _might_ have some skill?"

The Warrior-Caste members were all silent. Many held bruised egos but were also quite impressed with how the man had moved so fluidly. As a group, the Warriors all bowed heads as they replied, "Yes, Entil-zha!"

Harry did have something to add. "I have never had a group of humans I faced fight so well as you did. Of course, I have not fought human Anla-Shok. I have fought one or two humans at a time here and there which demonstrated skills at a similar level to your own. Please do not take offense when I say I have fought some which had higher skills. I would rank you quite high – but there is always more to learn."

The Warrior-Caste members nodded in reply – with respect.

Sinclair called out, "Dismissed!"

Harry turned and said, "Good group." Some of the Warrior-Caste members that were leaving heard the comment and quietly passed them on to their fellows. They, as a group, admitted that there was some small possibility that some humans might have some small skill. But they would never say it to them of course if they had any choice.

Harry felt the call. "I guess I only arrived to help you. I will be going soon."

Sinclair nodded. "Thank you again for your visit. I will say hello to Susan and the others for you."

Harry smiled. "Friends are a treasure – no matter what universe you end up in."

Harry, as he did before, disappeared in a ball of blue light with a musical background. Sinclair was amused to note that the music had a much more humorous tone than the last time he had seen the phenomenon.

* * *

Babylon 5, Captain's Quarters, 19 April 2263

Susan was getting out of the shower, luxuriating after a long day in C and C. She was really looking forward to getting to bed.

Suddenly, she heard a voice calling her from the living quarters. "Susan?"

She smiled as she called out, "Yes, Marcus?"

"Come here and look at this!"

Susan was toweling her hair as she walked out. There was Marcus in front of a table piled high with gifts. He was looking through a book, a gleeful look on his face. "What is it?"

He turned his face toward his new wife and said, "I was looking through the genealogy book Michael gave us. I found something interesting."

Susan was curious. "And?"

Marcus grinned. "I knew you there was something special about you! I found an ancestor of yours which came from Britain."

Susan moved to sit next to the love of her life. She leaned into his side as she read the entry Marcus was pointing to.

 _Demetri Rustov Ivanova, 1817 to 1889, Ambassador from the Romanov Court to the Court of St. James, - Mary Minerva McGonagall, 1825 to 1903, Youngest Daughter of the McGonagall Clan - married 1843._

Susan was struck speechless at the entry.

* * *

After several hundred Travels:

Harry looked around at the location he had arrived in. He knew this house. Suddenly, a small boy with bushy, black hair ran into the room followed by a red-haired girl with a messy-looking head of hair. They stopped suddenly at the man standing in their sitting room.

A beautiful woman Harry recognized came hurrying into the room. "What did I tell you two? Honestly! The things that …" When she got a good look at the visitor that had appeared she said, "Hello Harry."

"Hello, Hermione. Who do we have here?"

Hermione smiled at the two children. "James? Lily? Meet the man who helped your Mum and I bring you into the world: Harry Potter, Lone Traveler."

The two five-year-old children looked up at Harry in awe. Both had grown up hearing about the two Harry Potters their mum and mother both talked about. The one had gone to school with them, dying a hero. The other was well known as a myth in Wizarding history.

Harry had tears in his eyes as he hunkered down to get on the same level as the two. "Hello James and Lily. I'm your father, Harry."

Hermione smiled at the joy her two children showed as they greeted the Traveling Harry Potter. She made her way to the floo and called out, "Daily Prophet, Sports Desk!"

The love of her life was found sitting at the Sports Editor's desk. She was alone. "Ginny-Luv?" The woman on the other end smiled as she saw who was calling. "Remember our talk about wanting more children? He's back."


	7. Failsafe

Scene: Babylon 5, Season 4, Ep 20, "Endgame"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: Failsafe

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Set Brakna of Brakir worked feverishly on his part of the programming necessary for the defense platforms.

The Brakiri were a mercantile race. They were not particularly warlike and not particularly fun-loving. Their entire culture revolved around the concept of money – and business.

Since they had achieved interstellar flight, they had spent their time and resources to influence the races they encountered using financial means.

Their greatest rivals were the Drazi Federation. Drazi were difficult to influence because their entire government changed every five cycles. During the transitions, the Drazi were only interested in dominating one another based on some arcane ritual. All that the Brakiri knew was that every five years, all Drazi suddenly started wearing Green and Purple Sashes. And when the transition was over, all Drazi were wearing either Green or purple.

Another annoying thing was that the new leader was almost invariably some Drazi that had hidden his influence from outsiders until they took over. If one didn't know better, it was if their method of picking a leader was completely random. The Brakiri knew that such was impossible, and so spent vast sums attempting to actually suss out the hidden controls used.

And between these transitions the Drazi were only interested in barter – not high finance. They had traders, but Drazi traders were only interested in money as a counting system – not as a means of controlling others.

Still, they did do some business with the Drazi and the current project was one such project. The new Drazi leader had ordered that a defensive satellite system be purchased. The Drazi had seen what could happen when the Earthers had been almost annihilated when invaded by the Mimbari.

And so, even as that conflict was still ongoing, the Brakiri started building such a system for sale. If the Earthers survived, it was speculated that even they would be interested. Particle beams could target specific threats – large warships, etc. – and locally made missiles could be used to pepper an invading force with thousands upon thousands of missiles: Who would need precise targeting if the area was saturated with deadly projectiles?

And so, a year after starting, Set Brakna was almost ready to submit the targeting program to the supervising programmer.

Suddenly, in the area in front of his home desk, a bright light appeared. Out of that light a figure appeared.

Set stood up in shock, unthinking. He didn't even have the presence of mind to try to call the authorities.

* * *

Harry looked around at the room in which he had arrived. He saw that there was one person present – who obviously wasn't human. The person was staring at him in shock.

He raised his hand in a polite wave. "Hello there. Where exactly am I?"

The person looked surprised for a moment and then said in stilted (although very proper) English, "You are in my home in the city of Dolati, on the world of Brakir. Who are you?"

Harry shrugged. "Harry Potter, Inter-dimensional Traveler. And your name?"

The man (he was obviously male) nodded respectfully, "Set Brakna, Computer Programmer, Brakir Corporation."

Harry was interested. "Computer programmer? What are you working on – if I may ask?"

The man considered him for a moment and then said, "Why do you ask?"

Harry chuckled. "Due to a … mistake … on my part, I have become disassociated dimensionally. For the last many years, I have been moving from place to place, usually arriving when and where I am needed. Usually I arrive close to whomever I need to help. And so, I am curious: What are you working on?"

* * *

Set looked at the Earther curiously. His story sounded … odd. But he was interested enough in the man's method of arrival to continue talking to him. "I am currently working on the programming for defense platforms which can be placed around a world to help defend it from invasion from outside forces." Set sat back down and looked around. "I apologize that I have no more seats – I don't usually have visitors within this room."

The man shrugged and then pulled out a stick. Suddenly, at the place where the man pointed the stick there appeared a chair! It was an odd looking thing and rather soft – almost decadent to his mind. The man sat down in the chair and looked at him. "That's alright – this one will last for as long as I'm here."

Set looked at the man in shock. "How did you do that?"

The Earther's face broke into a grin. "Where I'm from, there are a number of humans who have the ability to control energy in odd and unusual ways. We call this magic. And those who can do it are called witches and wizards. I'm what would be called a wizard."

Set thought furiously. "Like a technomage?"

The man, Harry, shook his head. "No. No technology. Much of our magic actually interferes with technology. One reason I placed my chair so far from your station – I didn't want to cause any damage." Harry paused and then continued. "Magic is useful, but has its limitations and dangers. The accident which caused me to become unassociated was magical in nature."

Set was fascinated and asked his own question in return, "So, why did you want to know what I was doing?" After listening to the whole explanation, Set asked, "Why do you think you have arrived here?"

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, "You say your targeting system allows for a 360 degree targeting, right?" Set nodded. "And this is a planetary defense platform yes?" Set nodded again. "My question is: Why would it need to be 360 degrees? Wouldn't that open the door to the system being used on the planet itself?"

Set considered that for a moment. "Well, it could happen that the system might be used to target a ship that made it through."

Harry looked dubiously at him. "Can I make a suggestion?"

Set nodded respectfully. Harry's idea was actually quite good. He decided that he would include it within the programming package. After his decision to incorporate it, the man stood up and caused the chair to disappear. "I hope it's unnecessary – but if it IS necessary, I hope you are around to see the result."

Set nodded. "I thank you for your input."

The man nodded. He turned and suddenly compressed down into a small ball of light. Strains of music wafted around his chambers while the light faded away. The music was quite odd.

* * *

Jeffrey Stephenson, Lieutenant J.G., Earthforce, Research & Development Division, sat with his Brakiri counterpart as he reviewed the concerns that had been found when the programming on their new platforms was being reviewed.

For the most part, everything within the package was great. He, however, had found one item which concerned him. "There is one thing I need to enquire about." He moved the programming language to a particular section. "Why is this here?" He pointed to several lines of code which had been hidden within the program.

The Brakiri smiled and looked at Jeffrey. "It's a failsafe. While the targeting is 360 degrees, there was concern brought by a … friend, an Earther friend actually … that …." As the alien explained, Jeffrey nodded in understanding. The reasoning behind the location of the code and why it wasn't explained within the briefing package was explained quite well.

Lt. Stephenson thanked his counterpart and asked to continue the meeting after lunch. During lunch, Jeffrey considered what he was told and what his duty was. In the end, he decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

If the platform was ever used incorrectly – well, this would make certain it couldn't happen. He wouldn't say anything.

* * *

(Bold Taken from Bablyon 5, Season 4, Episode "End Game")

" **Signal coming in from Earthdome.** "

Captain John Sheridan nodded in response to the comment from the Captain of record on the Agamemnon. " **Put it through. And route it to the rest of the ships.** "

A woman's voice, recognized by Sheridan as a senator that he had respect for, sounded throughout the ships. " **Captain Sheridan. This is an emergency transmission. President Clark is dead. He took his own life before we could arrest him. But he left a message on his desk. Two words: 'Scorched Earth.'** " The senator's voice was grim, and showed real fear. " **Captain, I believe he's turned the defense grid toward Earth. We can't override the systems here. If you don't stop them, They'll fire in ten minutes. Captain. The particle beams on those defense platforms can level forty percent of the planets surface. You have to stop them before they can fire!** "

Sheridan nodded grimly to himself. He started calling out, " **Sheridan** **, to attack fleet, you …** " Suddenly he was interrupted by a voice from one of the bridge crew.

Everyone looked at the man in shock for interrupting in such a critical moment. But the man had a wide grin as he called out, "Captain! They'll shut down if they are locked in! Give it thirty seconds!"

Captain James called out, "Stephenson! Explain!"

Lt. Commander Stephenson, fourth in command and head of the engineering department, replied, "Captain! I was the engineer who reviewed the code for those platforms when they were purchased. They have a failsafe. If more than five percent of the platforms are locked toward the planet they are placed around, they will shut down when they stop moving." He paused as the two captains looked at each other. "It was a failsafe that the programmer who wrote the targeting algorithm used by the platforms put in place. It was only known by the programmers." He paused. "We didn't say anything for exactly this kind of scenario: We never wanted the platforms used as methods to destroy the inhabitants of Earth."

Sheridan looked at the man. "Are you sure?"

Jeffery Stephenson looked at the man whom he admired almost more than anyone else in Earthforce. "Yes, Sir. The code was hidden. If they shut down in the next twenty seconds, it was never changed."

Sheridan called out to all of the listening ships. "All ships. Target the platforms. If they don't shut down within 30 seconds … destroy them." He called out to another who was listening. " **Delenn, we need you.** "

The vast fleet of ships started moving toward the defense platforms. The allied fleet surged forward to also target the defense platforms.

Suddenly, all the platforms, which had been moving and opening their missile silos suddenly … stopped.

Within Earthdome, the panel which monitored the defense platforms called out a klaxon warning and every screen erased itself and a message appeared: "SYSTEM SHUT DOWN TO PREVENT PLANETARY BOMBARDMENT. ALL TARGETING OF PLANET DISABLED. SYSTEM WILL RESET IN FIVE MINUTES. COMMAND CODES REQUIRED TO RESTART SYSTEM: PRESIDENT, CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, PRESIDENT OF EARTH SENATE."

Senator Caroline Crosby felt her heart rate suddenly drop and she had to support herself to prevent herself from dropping to the floor. She called out to the line which hadn't been closed, "Captain Sheridan. The system is resetting itself. The failsafe worked. The crisis is over."

Captain John Sheridan shuddered in relief. He and Captain James fell against each other in celebration. Captain James said, "You did it, John."

Sheridan grinned and said, "No. WE did it." He stood up and called out to communications. "We still on with the fleet and Earthdome?" The comm officer nodded. "With the death of President Clark, at this time, 3:04 AM Earth Standard Time, I hereby relinquish control of all Earthforce Units within this fleet to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Earthforce, as determined by the Earth Senate. I hereby ask Captain James of the Agamemnon to take direct command for any cleanup efforts. I relinquish any command of the non-Earth allied fleet to Ambassador Delenn of the Mimbari Federation. At 12:00 hours, Earth Standard Time, I will present myself to Senator Crosby in Earthdome so that I may face a Board of Review for my actions and the actions of all of those who placed themselves under my command. That is all."

He motioned to the comm officer who nodded respectfully and cut all the lines out to the rest of the fleet, Earthdome, and any others listening in.

The crew of the Agamemnon, stunned at this command, all stood there for a moment until Captain James snapped to attention and saluted. All of the bridge crew followed suit.

Captain Sheridan looked at them all proudly as he snapped to attention and returned the salute.

Suddenly, the fleet picked up a jump point forming in front of them and an Earthforce heavy cruiser appeared before them: EAS Apollo.

A voice came over the comm system. "EAS Apollo to Captain John Sheridan. At this time, 2:05 AM Earth Standard Time, I, General Robert Leftcourt of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Earthforce, accept control of all Earthforce units returned to Earth jurisdiction." There was a pause. "Welcome home, John."


	8. A Little Punishment

Scene: Babylon 5, Season 4, Ep 21, "Rising Star"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: A Little Punishment

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Susan Ivanova groaned quietly as she became conscious.

The last thing she remembered, she blacked out due to injuries that she knew would kill her. The Mimbari and Medlab personnel had all confirmed that she was dying, even as they tried to make her comfortable.

However, as she opened her eyes, she noticed that the haze of pain that she had previously been experiencing was … gone. Her eyes darted about and she saw Dr. Hobbes looking at her with a wide grin.

She automatically started to turn her head before she realized that the brace that had held her head in place was gone. "What happened? Why am I not dead?"

Dr. Hobbes paused for a moment and then said, "To tell the truth, the only thing I was told was: Magic. A … well, you were healed by a wizard, who has since left."

Susan bolted up in her bed. "Magic? What kind of bull are you slinging now?" It was then that she noticed a very curious sight near the wall of her room. "And why is Marcus tied and gagged and looking at me like that?"

Dr. Hobbes looked over at Marcus Cole and saw that the Commander's waking up had caused his begging look (begging anyone around to let him go) had changed to real fear. She knew why he was afraid – and while she could understand it, she had little sympathy.

Marcus Cole was about to get his.

Dr. Hobbes also felt that it was proper payback for the damages he had created when he had arrived. She understood he was beyond reason at that point – but that didn't mean that punishment wasn't due.

She turned back to the Commander and replied, "The wizard left a note pinned to his robe," Susan saw the paper that was attached to Marcus' robes with a safety pin of all things, "and you should read that and review the security feeds before deciding what to do with him. Should I get the note now?"

Susan looked at Dr. Hobbes, at Marcus, and then back to the good doctor. She moved her legs off the bed, noting that the expected weakness was not present. She felt good as new. "Why don't I get it myself and we'll go from there."

Dr. Hobbes giggled and nodded. "We'll leave you to it." She turned to Marcus. "Good Luck, Mr. Cole – you're going to need it."

Marcus' eyes took on a look of resignation as Susan, with a gimlet eye one him, reached out and detached the note from his robes.

Susan was still looking at him as she opened the letter. She then moved her eyes to the note and began reading it.

 _Commander Susan Ivanova_

 _Greetings and Salutation and congratulations on surviving almost fatal injuries._

 _My name is Harry Potter. I am a wizard and known through a number of dimensions as the Lone Traveler._

 _To be truthful, without my intervention, you would have still survived – but the sad sack before you would have been dead._

 _Susan's eyes opened in shock and she glanced toward Marcus, who had a look as though he were about to face a firing squad._

 _When I arrived, I found Mr. Cole in the process of placing an alien device next to your bed which would have transferred his life force to you – and left him none at all._

 _Being a person of unusual skill and ability and having, by happenstance, a vial of a universal curative (fresh phoenix tears) upon my person, I prevented Mr. Cole from completing his designs and instead applied my techniques and curative and brought you back from the brink of death._

 _Present within my home universe and within many others you can find mythological creatures called phoenixes. In many universes they are legends, in some they exist. Phoenix tears can cure almost any ailment – they are just hard to obtain. Luckily, in one of my last jumps, a friendly phoenix insisted (my his actions – they don't talk) that I take a vial of tears. I did not know why – until I arrived here._

 _I had to use my magic to restrain Mr. Cole and performed a number of diagnostic spells. Where I come from, such severe injuries are actually not unheard of (we play a very rough sport which does include flying balls made of iron on flying brooms – imagine the possible injuries). As a result, there are spells and potions for almost anything._

 _Without the tears, you would have been healed within approximately a month. The tears allowed me to ensure that your injuries were fully repaired within only a few hours._

 _After applying the techniques, I repaired the damage Mr. Cole had cause in his franticness as well as brought those who had tried to stop him back to consciousness. It was decided (my suggestion) that he be left to you to deal with._

 _He thought it was perfectly acceptable to give his life for yours, feeling (in his mind) that your life was worth far, far more than his, or really almost anyone else's. He wouldn't have killed for you … but he would certainly die for you._

 _Having been the overly noble, self-sacrificing idiot, and meeting many other version of myself who were the same, I have come to realize that most loved ones don't really appreciate you sacrificing yourself without at least a modicum of input from whomever they are sacrificing themselves for._

 _As a result, I left Mr. Cole restrained so that you might do one of several things:_

 _1)Accept the fact he was about to sacrifice himself for you and let him go._

 _2)Accept the fact he was about to sacrifice himself for you and see if you can return the ridiculous amount of love he seems to feel for you._

 _3)Punish him as you feel appropriate and then do either one or two._

 _As I saved his life, or your life, or however you want to look at it, I could easily claim a life debt in there somewhere. As without my intervention you would have lived either way, only he would have died, I suspect he owes the debt._

 _As I am leaving soon (I can already feel the pull as I complete this), I am transferring any debt he owes to me over to you._

 _You now are owed a life debt by a passionate and loyal man. Do with it as you will. I will say that he wasn't in his right mind: His emotions were too overwhelming for him to be entirely rational, so don't be too hard on him._

 _And he will have to answer for bugging out of the battle he had been involved in. Word is – your side won anyway and his absence didn't cause any damage._

 _After reviewing the footage (I was told that was possible), I might suggest taking him to his commanding officer, showing him/her this letter, and claiming him as your personal manservant (insert cheeky grin here)_

 _Best Regards,_

 _Harry Potter,_

 _Lone Traveler_

Susan looked at Marcus, back at the letter, and then walked to a terminal. "Computer, locate the footage from this medlab from the most recent entrance of Marcus Cole. Play footage until I say stop."

* * *

Dr. Stephen Franklin once again considered the video log from his report on the alien device. Marcus' life hung in the balance. It was already more than 48 hours since Marcus had left for Babylon 5.

He only hoped that security or someone would have stopped him. He knew, however, that Marcus was unstoppable when his mind was made up. And it was less than two days from the Sol system to B5 if one went directly. Sheridan had only taken two days when he and Delenn had gone to destroy that Shadow vessel because they had had to pick up the White Star from where it had been parked.

He cursed, once again, the jammers, President Clark, Marcus Cole, and a few other people. If only the jammers hadn't been active, if only he had received the order immediately, if only … if only …. "Faster. Faster! We've got to go faster!"

Suddenly, the Ranger manning the comm station called out, "Doctor Franklin! We've got a line to Babylon 5!"

"Open up the channel!" he called out. The ranger nodded. "This is Dr. Franklin to Babylon 5. Please respond!"

" _Dr. Franklin, this is Babylon 5. What can we do for you?_ "

"Has a White Star commanded by Marcus Cole arrived to the station?" he asked urgently.

There was a pause on the line and then, " _Why don't I patch you through to someone who can tell you about it. Patching you through to Medlab. Hold on._ "

There was another pause and then, " _Medlab One. Can I help you?_ "

"This is Dr. Franklin. Has Marcus Cole arrived there?"

There was another pause. " _Hold on._ "

Suddenly the voice on the other end changed. " _Stephen_?"

Stephen was feeling dread. "Susan? Is that you?"

" _Yes. It's me._ "

"That means that Marcus … Marcus …."

Stephen was shocked when he was interrupted with, " _No. He's fine. Just … tied up for the moment._ " There was definite amusement in Susan's voice.

He was completely confused. "How are you answering me if he didn't …."

Susan chuckled on the line. " _Let's just say it was a miracle and leave it at that. I'll tell you about it when you get here. How far are you out?_ "

He looked over at the Ranger. "30 hours, Doctor."

"You hear that?"

" _Yes. I'll see you when you get here. Since I've been pronounced fit and the fighting is over according to ISN, I'll be taking CIC until we get it sorted out._ " There was a pause. " _I hope John gets it sorted before we end up in front of a firing squad_."

Stephen laughed in delight, the tension having left him completely. "I think we'll be alright. I look forward to hearing about it when I get there. White Star 29, out."

" _Babylon_ _5, Out._ "

* * *

Stephen walked into CNC after having shuttled over from White Star 29. He found Susan in a uniform similar to what the rest of the CIC staff wore. Her black uniform had been cut off of her when she was injured.

Susan turned and lit up when she saw him. "Stephen! Welcome back!" She, uncharacteristically, accepted an enthusiastic embrace from the doctor.

"Oh, it's good to see you up and about!" He stood back and looked at her. "How the hell are you in such good shape?"

Susan smiled ruefully. "I'll have to show you the video footage – I don't think you'd believe me otherwise."

Stephen glanced around. "Where's Marcus?"

Her eyes took on a mischievous gleam. "Oh, he's running around taking care of a few things I ordered him to do. He's being punished for being stupid. I'm waiting word from the Captain and we're going to take his White Star back to Earth as soon as the word comes in. I'm taking him to Delenn so that we can work out a more permanent situation."

Stephen looked amused and apprehensive all at once. "I take it you weren't happy with what he tried to do?"

Susan smirked. "Oh, I appreciate that he felt he had to do something. But I want him to understand exactly how upset I would have been if I had woken up from my injuries fully healed and he had died. I never game him permission to do that for me. So I'm going to make certain he never tries such a thing again."

"Ooooh boy," Stephen grinned. "For some reason, right about now, I'm glad I'm not in Marcus' shoes."

"You better believe it."

* * *

Stephen had finally finished going over the medlab report on Susan's recovery. There was only a minor trace of a foreign substance found in the bloodwork, but even that was breaking down. He sighed. The hopes he had for synthesizing the universal cure used on her were gone. But at least Susan was okay.

* * *

Delenn looked at Susan thoughtfully. "You know what we are trying to do with the league?"

Susan nodded. "If you can pull this off, it will be awesome."

Delenn nodded. "With Babylon 5 the main location of the Alliance, we're going to need someone to run Babylon 5."

Susan paused. "I don't know. I could do it, of course, but it would likely be politically … unwise. I'm too well known."

Delenn sighed. "I know." Then she paused. "How would you feel about the title 'Ambassador'?"

Susan was taken aback. "Huh?"

"John is going to be president. If Earth becomes a part of the Alliance, they'll need an ambassador who works for Earth entirely. It would require that you pretty much go wherever the Alliance is headquartered – and it would mean that you'd be working closely with us, with whomever they get to run the station – and with Marcus. Should Earth not accept you for that position … well, I could always use someone of your skills helping to coordinate the Rangers."

Susan considered that. "And if … IF … I become involved with one of your Rangers on a more personal level, there wouldn't be a conflict of interest?"

Delenn smiled that smile which the Mimbari had when they felt their culture was superior. "The highest calling among Mimbari is the calling of one's heart. In the face of that calling, almost all other considerations are negated. Also – if you become Ranger Two, you will need someone who is trained as a Ranger to give you advice or to relay your orders. I think Marcus could perform in that role admirably. You – as the humans say – would be his boss."

Delenn and Susan both took on wicked smiles. Marcus would be paying for his … loss of control … for a very, very long time.

* * *

A/N: I'll leave the rest to your imagination ...


	9. Pt1: Dark Road Averted

Scene: Babylon 5, Season 2, Ep 9, "Coming of Shadows"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: A Dark Road Averted

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

 _Previously, on the Lone Traveler (Ch 62):_

 _Harry looked at the room where he had just arrived. An older looking man with a really weird haircut (all the hair was stuck out in a fan-shape) was looking at him in shock. A younger man was also present, looking less shocked and more awed._

 _Londo Mollari and Vir Cotto looked at the unexpected visitor and both wondered what it meant …._

 _Previously, on Babylon 5:_

 _Londo watched Refa leave his quarters. He was making plans even as he ordered his attaché. "Find Mr. Morden. Bring him here."_

 _Vir approached his boss. "Londo. Don't do this," he asked with real emotion._

 _"I have no CHOICE!" Londo replied._

 _"Yes you do! Londo, please … please … please, I know you don't listen to me. But I'm asking you just this one time: Don't DO this! There's no turning back once you turn down this road," Vir said imploringly._

Londo was about to interrupt when suddenly a blue light appeared in his quarters.

The two turned around and what appeared to be a blue flame coalesced near the door. The flame winked out and standing in front of the two was a human. The human was dressed in what could only be called casual wear.

What shocked them both, though, was the creature upon the man's shoulder. Both were learned enough in Centauri mythology to recognize it as a Chol.

Far back, Chols were revered as symbols of goodness and strength. It was said that the last Chol had disappeared with the death of the last Centauri mage. Mages were forces of great power and great change, but had been persecuted by those seeking to destroy their allies. When the last Chol disappeared, all of Centauri had mourned for its loss. It was why the first Emperor had sought approval from the technomages before taking the throne: With the loss of true magic, the blessing of the technomages was the only link left similar enough to be acceptable.

For a Chol to appear at this time was a sign that could not be ignored.

Harry looked at the two men curiously. "Hello. My name is Harry. How do you do?"

The older man looked to be in shock. The younger, however, had a joy upon seeing him and his companion. "Hello. Er. I'm Vir Cotto, and this is my employer, Ambassador Londo Mollari of the Centauri republic." The man, the alien man, paused for a moment and then asked nervously, "Are you a mage?"

Harry was surprised. "As a matter of fact, yes. How did you know?"

The older man, Londo Mollari, suddenly exclaimed, "Great Maker!"

Harry chuckled. The two men stared at him. The older one asked, "What is so funny? Why do you laugh?"

Harry thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "I've met and worked for whom you call the Great Maker a time or two. He's quite interesting."

The older man grew pale and seemed to lose strength. The younger man asked, "Can you help our Emperor?"

Harry could only say, "Huh?"

Vir urgently explained. "Our Emperor was about to make a speech here at Babylon 5. On the way, he collapsed. He's very old, but he's a good man. He's dying, but maybe there is something you could do to help him?"

Harry considered that. "I make no promises but I can see what I can do."

"Thank you! Thank you! I'll show you the way." Vir started moving toward the door.

Londo numbly followed. Suddenly, he had a thought. "Give me a moment. I must leave a message quickly." The other two watched as Londo moved to the communications panel and called, "Lord Refa's quarters, I need to leave an urgent message!"

"Working: Begin Message."

"Refa! Do not send the message! There are …. changes happening. Wait until you hear from me before doing anything!"

Harry looked over at the younger man and was taken by how relieved the man looked at his boss's action.

Londo looked more alive as he moved. "We go!"

The Emperor's guards were watching the corridor outside of Medlab, ensuring only medical personnel were allowed in. However, they too were Centauri and they too knew the stories. Therefore, when Ambassador Mollari arrived at Medlab leading his attaché and another man with a Chol upon his shoulders they, as one, moved to allow them to pass.

The group arrived at the bed of the Emperor and Mollari bowed. "Majesty, I have brought a visitor."

The old man, already having lost much energy, could barely raise his head. "Come closer." He saw the Chol and his eyes lit up. "Who are you?"

Londo answered for him. "He is a human mage. He arrived in time to prevent me from making a misjudgment. He has agreed to see if he can help you. Will you allow it?"

The Emperor moved his hand in "come hither" motion.

Harry moved closer and pulled his wand. "Your Majesty, I am Harry Potter, Lone Traveler, Fury of the Light, and wizard. All of my spells are for humans, but I can see what I can see."

The Emperor nodded in agreement.

Harry cast a number of diagnostic spells. What he found made him sigh. "I'm afraid that, for the most part, there isn't much I can do. Before I say what I found, could you use a pain drought? I happen to have a few potions with me."

The Emperor was curious. "What kinds?"

Harry took the bag he happened to have brought from his last universe and looked inside. He pushed his hand in and it was obvious that the bag was much larger on the outside than it was on the inside. He pulled out a tray with several vials.

"Let's see. Pain drought, wound cleansing, ditanny – also for wounds, crushed bezoar for heavy poison, invigoration draught, dreamless sleep, Skel-gro and blood replenishment (only for humans though), antidote for common poisons, calming …." Harry stopped when he noticed the Emperor motioning to him.

"Pain and invigoration. I must deliver a message. How long would it last?" the Emperor asked.

Harry thought about it. "For a human, it would last maybe 6 or 8 hours. Non-human? I don't know. I think I was told it was a bit shorter for non-humans."

"I'll take those two."

Harry nodded and watched as the Emperor downed the two vials with Londo's help.

The three watched as the color came back to the Emperor's cheeks and he suddenly looked far more aware than he had been. "That is excellent! I must get ready. Call my guards," he said to Vir. "Thank you, Mage."

"Just call me Harry, Your Majesty." He paused. "I should warn you – you're not likely to survive for more than a few hours. Although there are no poisons in your system now – it looks as though you were poisoned in the past. It has caused what is killing you."

The Emperor looked grim. "How long ago?"

Harry shrugged. "With that much damage? It was likely over two years ago it started and it ended probably a year ago."

The guards and the two female telepaths came in following Vir. They were all shocked at how strong the Emperor looked.

"Get my clothes and help me dress. I must make my announcement. Let the station's captain know." One guard left. The females turned and looked the other way while the other guard helped him dress in the uniform he brought.

Londo and Vir looked horrified that the Emperor had been poisoned.

The Emperor laughed as he was dressed/dressed himself. "It is too bad you are not dressed as a mage. It would help me in my message."

Harry was curious. "What kind of dress would be proper?"

"Long robes. Green."

Harry transfigured his clothes into dress robes very much like what he wore to the Yule Ball except closer to his eye color.

The three Centauri were startled for a moment and then the Emperor chuckled. "A mage indeed."

As the group walked down the hall, the Emperor walked beside Harry. "Now, you say I was poisoned?"

Harry sighed. "It appears that way. It was over a period of time so that it wouldn't be obvious. But the damage is too great to repair now. At least it is beyond my skill. My new wife died from a more sudden dose of a similar poison."*

The Emperor nodded. He motioned to one guard, who moved closer, as well as to one of the female telepaths. "The food tasters from a year ago that were replaced after my son died: It must be investigated. If they live, they must be interrogated by whatever means. If they are not alive, those in charge must be interrogated. Inform the Prime Minister." The female telepath nodded, as did the guard.

* * *

The room where the diplomats had gathered earlier was full once again. The tone was more somber, more solemn. G'kar had come as he had been with Dr. Franklin when Stephen was called.

The Emperor moved to the dais that was set up. The station command staff were near the stage, except Stephen Franklin, who was at the back with Ambassador G'kar.

Harry murmured to the Emperor, "Would you like to be heard without the use of the microphone?"

The Emperor almost grinned. "You can do this?"

Harry nodded, a hidden smile apparent to the Emperor. Turhan nodded. "Please."

The Emperor stood upon the dais but not in front of the podium. Sheridan, noticing this, tried to subtly encourage the Emperor to move to the microphone. Instead, Turhan turned his head to Harry, who stood at the back of the dais, and nodded.

Having excellent wandless skills, Harry pointed at the Emperor, cast a Sonorous, and then bowed his head briefly.

The Emperor's voice came out much louder than the audience anticipated. "Hello, all. As Emperor of the Centauri Republic, I greet you all in peace. Especially one among you." Turhan looked directly at G'Kar and said, "Ambassador, if you would please join me."

G'Kar, still unbelieving regardless of what he had been told by Dr. Franklin, slowly moved until he stood facing the Emperor. Harry cast a wandless Sonorous on the Narn who faced the Emperor.

The Emperor stood in front of Ambassador G'Kar but addressed the crowd. "Earlier, I was coming to say what I am about to say, but collapsed. I have been ill for a long time – I am dying. Even now, as I stand before you, I am only here due to the intervention of the Mage who came with the Chol." The Emperor bowed his head to Harry, who once again bowed his head in return. Fawkes ruffled his wings and trilled. The sound wafted around the room and the audience was struck by the pure beauty of that sound.

"As a young man, I was impetuous. As I grew I acted as was expected. As I approached the end of my life, only then did I finally admit to myself what I had known for so many years."

He addressed G'Kar. "Ambassador G'Kar. My family, in the name of power, committed atrocities on your people. We have hated. And you have hated. And this hatred has continued on all of these years. Until now.

"This place." Turhan looked around. "This place was built to allow us all to come to understand each other. And to talk to each other. And work with each other. It is a noble goal and a noble mission. And it has inspired me.

"I made a decision. One of the only decisions of my life that truly matter to me at the end. I would come and I would find you and I would say: We were wrong. I apologize for the part played by my family and by my people."

G'Kar could barely keep from breaking out in tears. "And for my part," he almost lost it when he noticed his own voice grown to unbelievable amounts but he soldiered on, "for my part, personally, I accept your apology. It might not be enough for many of my people. It might take great effort to overcome the years of hatred. But I, who lost my father to your people, who fought your people for independence, who has worked against your people in revenge all these many years – I accept. And partly because you are dying, and partly it is because it is the right thing to do, I forgive you for your sake – and for my own."

In the back of the room, there were several people who reacted to this announcement.

Ambassador Kosh, who was hidden in the door, was astounded. He was astounded by the Bird of Fire. Astounded by the Emperor. And astounded by the changed circle.

Lord Refa of the Centaurum was disgusted. They were right on the cusp. Right on the cusp of bringing their people back to power and right on the cusp of positioning himself for a rise to the throne. And suddenly, it was all undone. He saw the mage who stood with the Emperor and he saw the Chol, the bird depicted on the Centauri State Seal worn by the Emperor. With the apparent blessing of this creature, manipulating the opinion of the Centaurum toward decrying this would be impossible. Refa listened. And Refa hated.

Mr. Morden, shadow agent, was greatly disappointed. Londo Mollari had held great promise. But this … this showed that he wasn't as promising a prospect as his associates had thought. They would have to look further. He noticed, however, Lord Refa. Refa looked to be a viable replacement. Even as he was contemplating this, something happened which made him lose all concentration.

Fawkes the phoenix, upon hearing the declaration of peace, and feeling the loosening of the hatred held between these two, started singing as only a phoenix can.

The joyful sounds of phoenix song moved out from the dais and encompassed everyone present. Those who were pure and true felt the enormous joy and lifting of all care as they heard the song envelop them. They were lifted up, emotionally, and their insecurities and regrets were almost erased, if only for a moment. Included within this group were the Emperor himself, Harry, the command staff of B5, Delenn, Kosh, Vir, and a few others from the League of non-aligned worlds were included within this.

Those that were neutral but who leaned toward the light were also uplifted. It caused them to think and to consider and, somewhat, to change. G'Kar was within this group. As was Londo – which would be surprising to many who knew and worked with him. Londo Mollari was a product of his upbringing and Centauri politics did not lend themself to altruism and compassion. Many more of the league were within this group as well. It would have surprised Kosh, who was an optimist, that many of his own people would have reacted as these did.

Those that were neutral but who leaned toward the dark were mildly uncomfortable. One of the shadows that traveled hidden with their agent was actually within this group. Some of the Shadows still were truly attempting to be caretakers. They were opportunistic and perfectly willing to use dark methods, but in the end, they were trying to do right as they were charged by Lorien and the other first ones long ago.

Those that were dark, though … these felt extreme pain and an extreme desire to get away. Mr. Morden, who was on the road to be bitter and soulless long before the shadows took him, was among this group. Mr. Mordon truly felt chaos was the right path. Oh, he would mouth the words which defined the supposed shadow mission, but he reveled in the despair of others. For him, and for the other shadow hidden with him, the song of the phoenix burned within their minds.

* * *

The telepaths that were part of the Emperor's retinue were showing the Prime Minister what was happening in real time. The Prime Minister was proud of his Emperor, his friend. The message about the poison had infuriated him. But this had released much of the tension he had long felt. Prime Minister Malachi was also a good and pure soul.

He also was steeped in the intrigues and corruption of Centauri politics, but had somehow kept himself pure. He was a realist. But he was not evil in the slightest.

When it was over, Malachi thanked the telepaths. Still distracted, he called for guards and explained what he had been ordered to do by the Emperor. Unfortunately, these guards were not the personal guard, but guards that had been placed by Lord Refa's allies. They knew that such orders would cause chaos and would leave their lords open to a charge of treason. They all looked at each other and the one in charge nodded.

Prime Minister Malachi and the two telepaths that were part of the Emperor's entourage looked in horror as they drew their weapons and approached them.

* * *

Harry was walking with the Emperor and the other Centauri with him when all felt the horror of the two women who were following. They all turned and the two women broadcast the happenings back within the palace on Centauri Prime.

Harry made an immediate decision. "Show me where they are!" The two women telepathically sent the location to him and Harry, as he had learned to do many universes ago, used his ability to shift in light to transport himself directly to the location.

* * *

The three were just resigning themselves to dying when suddenly a light formed in front on them in the shape of a man. The guards, seeing this paused in their purpose. Harry, decided that the distraction of the telepathic women might interfere at exactly the wrong time if he fought jumped at the Prime Minister and yelled, "Grab on!"

The women, knowing what their sisters knew, did so. The guards tried to stop them, but the group disappeared in a show of blue light.

* * *

Part 2 will be in a few days ...


	10. Pt2: Dark Road Averted, The Hard Choice

Scene: Babylon 5, Season 2, Ep 9, "Coming of Shadows"

* * *

Fanfiction Story Title: A Dark Road Averted Pt 2, The Hard Choice

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Harry stood back and watched the group of people who were speaking.

The dying Emperor, the tired Prime Minister, the overwhelmed Ambassador, and the earnest attaché were meeting with Ambassador Delenn, Ambassador Kosh, Ambassador G'Kar, as well as Captain Sheridan.

Malachi shook his head to the Captain's question. "For them to move against me, they must feel that they have nothing to lose … and everything to gain. It is likely that if I returned to Centauri Prime, I would be killed. Londo tried to reach homeworld, but it seems that all official channels are closed. They know the Emperor is dying. They are maneuvering their pawns."

Londo looked down for a moment and then back up. "And they are receiving help from outside."

Everyone looked at him. He sighed. "Last year. When I obtained the Eye for its return, Lord Kiro looked to claim it and the try to take the throne, though I tried to convince him that it was foolish. He flew from here, taking it. However, his ship was attacked – and the Eye was lost once again. I was looking at the very real loss of my position … and my family's destruction."

He sighed. "I am a patriot. All I ever wanted was to help my people." He looked at G'Kar. "The things I have done in the name of my people … I am not proud." He looked back at the rest. "When Mr. Morden came to me, having 'miraculously' retrieved the Eye, I looked at it as a miracle. He, however, used this. He used this to work his way into my good graces. He convinced me that his associates could help with the 'Problem' of Quadrant 37. And once I started on that road … I have been foolish." He turned to look at G'Kar. "You were right about the ancient enemy. This Mr. Morden is their agent. But I could say nothing. Because it would threaten me, and my people, if I reported it. But I felt I must tell you this."

G'Kar could barely contain his rage. "Why? Why, after all this, have you brought this up?"

Londo sighed. "Because I received word that Mr. Morden was seen leaving with Lord Refa. Lord Refa is likely the push behind the changes back home. He has offered to ensure that troubles occur with food shipments and such when it would help weaken the Emperor's position. I tried to stop him. I told him to do nothing. But if he allies himself with Mr. Morden and his … associates … I fear for my people. I fear for your people. I fear for all of our peoples. And G'Kar …" G'Kar looked interested finally, having gotten himself under control, "… I get the distinct feeling that his associates have a particular dislike for the Narn. You drove them from your world a thousand years ago. I believe they are looking for payback."

Soon, prompted by Londo's admission, Delenn and Kosh decided to tell the others about the shadows – and why they could not stop it. They were not ready. And if they took a stand it was likely that all of Narn would be destroyed when the Shadows moved openly in retaliation.

In the end it was decided that Prime Minister Malachi would secretly go into exile with the four telepaths that the Emperor normally took with him. Londo would report that he had "had an accident" and that "unfortunately, all records of the Emperor's Speech were mysteriously destroyed before they could be transmitted to Narn or to Centauri Prime."

No one in the room liked the necessity. But it would be required. G'Kar wept when he realized that his people would be attacked. And not only that … they would have to lose to the Centauri once again. Only this could shield them from total destruction. Needless to say, everyone in the room had many sleepless nights over this decision. Save Kosh – Vorlons had a much different view of things.

Vir would have to be the go between because as soon as there was an attack, Londo and G'Kar would have to be seen as enemies.

Harry stood as he felt the pull. "Good luck. I will be moving on. The universe calls me." He turned to Fawkes. "You coming with?"

Fawkes trilled and then flew over to the dying Emperor's bed. Harry chuckled. "Okay then. If I don't see you again, I hope you find great joy in this place." Harry turned and disappeared in his customary blue flash. Phoenix song wafted around the room, melancholy but determined. Fawkes started singing in counterpoint and the room was lifted of their burdens … if only for a moment.

Emperor Turhan of the Centauri Republic died with a smile on his face, listening to the song of the Chol.

* * *

Refa and Morden were getting to know one another. Suddenly there was a chime on the console within Refa's quarters.

Refa stood and walked over, "Yes?"

"Message from Londo Mollari."

Refa sneered. "Put it through."

Londo Mollari's face took up the small screen. "Refa. The Emperor is dead. Somehow, the Prime Minister arrived here with the Retinue of Four. The Captain of Babylon 5 gave over to him the records of the Emperor's … pain induced ravings." Londo's face took on a smirk. "The shuttle carrying the body of the Emperor as well as the Prime Minister and the Retinue somehow has met with an accident. The man in robes who stood behind the Emperor has … disappeared. The … bird who appeared with him has taken up with the humans on the station." Londo turned as though to see around where he was standing. Londo's voice became quieter. "Unfortunately, all evidence has been destroyed in a shuttle accident. The Emperor's body has been destroyed. Call me. We need to speak."

Refa was surprised. He looked over at Morden, who had a thoughtful look. Refa turned back to the console. "Lord Refa to the Royal Carrier."

A haggard Centauri ship's captain appeared on the screen. "Yes, Lord Refa?"

"I have heard that there was an accident."

The captain sighed. He knew his career was in ruins. "Yes, Lord Refa. The shuttle carrying the Emperor's body as well as the members of the Retinue of Four suddenly ran into its escort." The Captain almost gibbered. "Both were destroyed. And I was told there was an important Noble on board as well. We are trying to find out what happened. We have no idea how such a …."

Refa, who was suppressing a wide smirk, called out, "Captain! Captain! Calm down! It was obvious from your report that the incident was caused by whoever was piloting. With the destruction of the shuttle and its escort in foreign space, there isn't much you could do. Make every effort to retrieve the remains. I will put in a good word with the Centaurum and the Lord of the Fleet."

The Captain looked almost to be in tears. "Thank you, Lord Refa."

Refa looked back to Morden, who was smiling. Refa looked at Morden with thoughtful eyes. "What would you say if I told you that we could use a little help with … Quadrant 14?"

Morden, although outwardly thoughtful, was quite pleased by what he had seen. "Let me consult with my associates and see what we can do."

Refa nodded. "If you could, please expedite that. Somehow, whatever that creature was, it was painful to listen to. I would like to get away from this place as soon as possible."

It was then that Mr. Morden knew that he had found a kindred soul. His own presence on the station would have to be curtailed as well. But if Refa was willing to help him, Babylon 5 might not be as important to his associates plans as they had first thought. And he could stay away from that infernal bird as well. He would have to use dupes to get information … but his associates were always good at that – and he was a master.

* * *

In the end, very little changed over the next two years from what would have been. Fawkes the phoenix provided some comfort to those that were on the station. The one thing that had changed was that Londo used his considerable influence to reduce the suffering of Narn. He had, somehow, negotiated surrender from the Kah'ri, who fled.

G'Kar was known to have asked for sanctuary from the command staff at Babylon 5 rather than go along with the decision. He became a figure of great respect for his unwillingness to accept the surrender.

Cartegia, the Emperor's nephew, came to the throne. He was a despotic ruler who listened to the advice of his allies' representative, Mr. Morden.

Refa was lured to Narn and killed by those loyal to House Mollari a year after Narn fell. This was payback for Refa's work against Vocator Urza Jaddo and his house. They were only saved by Urza's sacrifice in the Murago. Urza died willingly after having learned exactly how Refa had obtained so much power and the knowledge that Prime Minister Malachi and Emperor Turhan had approved of the long plan. Londo claimed Urza's family. Londo arranged for Refa to look like a traitor upon his death. He, and his attaché Vir, were aided in this by Refa's own daughter, Senna, who hated what her father had become. She was a loyal Centauri and the darkness that her father brought upset her greatly.

The Narn public, upon the end of the conflict, learned exactly who had done what. Londo Mollari and Citizen G'Kar were seen in a new light when the full extent of what occurred behind the scenes was made known.

The Centauri under Lord Refa, had almost used mass drivers to wreak havoc upon Narn. The deal struck with the Kah'ri had prevented that. Instead of the 500,000 Narn that had died because of the war and occupation, the death toll could have been in the millions – or all of them.

That many of the Kha'ri had sacrificed their lives willingly, had let themselves be killed by the Centauri, humbled those Narn who were angry at the deception. The Kah'ri had done the best they could for their people, and the martyrs would be remembered.

Londo Mollari, Vir Cotto, and the former Prime Minister appearing on Centauri Prime after the death of Cartagia had cemented the rightness of their path when a Chol had appeared with them. The Centauri learned of the true extent of the deception when the speech by Turhan was played, as well as the record of the meeting where Citizen G'Kar, weeping, had acceded to the subjugation of his people to prevent the destruction of Narn, and the total subjugation of Centauri Prime.

Londo Mollari and Citizen G'Kar were soon revered by both the Centauri and the Narn.

The Shadow remnant upon Centauri Prime were destroyed or driven off. The mighty Centauri war machine that had been built up by Emperor Cartagia was now given over to Captain Sheridan of Babylon 5 for the last, final meeting of the Vorlons and Shadows at Coriana 6.

Early in the conflict between the Narn and the Centauri, the main Narn Fleet had been reported to have been destroyed.

When the fleet of Narn ships had come out from hiding in the presence of the Centauri, the other members of the League of Non-Aligned worlds had been completely astonished. When word was reached that they had come to fight with them, great hope was born.

Whatever else could be said of the Centauri, they were second only to the Mimbari in military strength among the younger races. Even Earthforce was no true match for the Centauri.

* * *

When the Drakh had tried to infiltrate the Palace on Centauri Prime, Fawkes had sensed the dark presence and had alerted the Prime Minister. The Drakh were forced to retreat. They had to flee into unknown space as the Centauri fleet harassed them in the chase.

When, five years after the inception of the Interstellar Alliance, the Drakh had appeared and tried to destroy Earth, the Centauri had arrived along with the Whitestars and all available Earthforce units to defend the humans' home world.

And, although the Drakh had succeeded in infecting the planet with their plague, their victory was a Pyrrhic one. The Drakh had come with all of their ships for the plan. And the entirety of the Drakh fleet had been destroyed to the last ship.

Without the controlling unit being monitored by Drakh from nearby hyperspace and actively modified to mutate quickly, the death toll from the plague was much smaller than it could have been before the cure was finally found by the Excalibur and its crew.

The course of the galaxy was changed by the arrival of one phoenix – at the right time.

* * *

Londo Mollari sighed as he tried to sleep. The meeting with the Emperor and the others was disturbing. They had a great struggle ahead and he would be forced to play, as the humans said, "the bad guy." He was not looking forward to it, but he was a loyal Centauri.

As he slept he dreamed. And he, as many Centauri did on occasion, dreamed of his death. He had been having this dream since he was a young Centauri.

But the dream was somehow changed. Instead of seeing himself in titanic struggle with G'Kar, their hands wrapped around each other's throats, each attempting to snuff the life out of each other, he saw himself in a bed, surrounded by his wife, his friends, as well as much of the Royal Court. The last sight before he closed his eyes in his dream was to his hands. One hand was held by his wife, Timov, and she was smiling even as she wept. His other was held by G'Kar, and the look of friendship he showed was astonishing in its depth.

His death dream, for the first time in thirty years, did not cause him to wake afraid and sweating, but gave him comfort. He slept well for the rest of the night. He never dreamed of his death again.


	11. More Evil Then Love Potions

Scene: Babylon 5 Season 2 Episode 19: Divided Loyalties

* * *

Fanfiction title: More Evil Then Love Potions

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Harry looked around at the corridor in which he appeared. He recognized the décor. It could only be one of the alternate set of universes which took place on the space station Babylon 5.

The Babylon universes were kind of interesting to him. War, love, hate, science, religion, technology … it was all quite interesting. The people he met and helped were really good people. And it usually was kind of fun. Suddenly, he heard a door open and he looked over. He decided to disillusion himself.

Usually when he arrived out of site, he was better off just watching first. Usually there was a better outcome.

The woman he saw looked furtive. She was dressed in such a way that there was no identifying characteristics other than the rough shape which indicated she was a woman.

Suddenly, he felt a subtle probe – almost like a Legimens was casting about. He strengthened his mental shields even as he remembered that this universe had telepaths. Luckily the woman just looked right past where he was – even though she had paused for just a moment before he strengthened his occlumency shield. She hid behind a column, watching a particular door. He saw what looked like a gun in her had.

This was not good.

He silently cast a charm to prevent any noise from coming from his position and carefully walked up behind the woman, his wand extended.

He then heard noise coming from the stairwell. Two of the space Aurors walking with a woman who looked stressed and upset. What was interesting to note was that the woman was not restrained – which meant she was not under arrest.

It was likely that this was the target.

The woman carefully hid until the three had passed. She then took aim. Before she could pull the trigger though, Harry cast a silent Stupefy.

* * *

Lyta Alexander was looking about, watching all around. There was a traitor here and she was terrified. The command staff was hemming and hawing about letting her help to find the traitor. If they would just LISTEN.

At least they had given her more than one guard to protect her.

Suddenly, there was a clattering behind them. The guards pulled their PPGs and looked back. Lying on the deck was a figure dressed in black, face obstructed with a mask until only the eyes were visible. Next to her hand was another PPG.

One of the guards tapped their link. "Security Alert. We have a person down on Blue 5 along the transport route. Send backup!"

Through the link came a reply, "Confirmed! ETA three minutes!"

The two guards nodded at each other. One put their principal in an alcove and stood in front of her with their weapon drawn and the second carefully approached the prone figure.

Suddenly they all heard a voice. "If I come out, will you not shoot me?"

The guard called back in a harsh voice, "Come out with you hands in view!"

"Okay. Just don't shoot!"

Suddenly, instead of someone coming out from behind the column next to the woman, a figure just _appeared_ standing next to her.

Needless to say, the two guards AND the woman they were protecting all kind of freaked out.

"Who are you?" the guard yelled. "How did you do just appear? Are you wearing a changeling net? Or are you using some other technology"

"Harry Potter. I happened to see this woman taking aim at you from behind this column and knocked her out before she could shoot. As far as how I just appeared … it's probably better if I talked to your boss about that." He paused for a moment. "Is it still Michael Garibaldi who's running security?"

The guard was taken aback. How could this person not know? It was common knowledge. "Yes."

The man looked relieved. "Good. I'll talk to him or the Babylon 5 Commander about it."

"Ivanova?"

"No. Sinclair or Sheridan – whoever is running things these days."

The guards were not relieved at the appearance of not knowing by the man in front of them. She didn't lower her weapon. She was relieved when she saw the Security Chief and a couple of other guards coming up behind, weapons drawn.

* * *

Garibaldi was both pissed and satisfied: Pissed that someone had gotten so close, as seen by the PPG that was on the deck; and satisfied because his guys were doing a good job of making sure Lyta Alexander was protected without putting a gun right in front of her face.

He saw the man standing next to the body on the ground and suddenly he recognized where he had seen that exact costume before. He almost unconsciously called out even as he dropped his weapons aim more toward the ground: "Harry?"

The man turned and he saw it WAS who he guessed. "Hello Michael."

"What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in … ten years, back on Mars."

Harry sighed. "It's a long story. As soon as things are sorted, I'll explain."

The whole security detail relaxed at their boss's obvious recognition of the man.

Michael looked down. "Who's that?"

"Don't know. I just stopped her from taking a shot at whoever your officers were leading down the hall."

Harry stepped back to give the detail room. One picked up the PPG and Michael turned the body flat and pushed the mask up.

He was really confused. "Talia?"

* * *

The command staff was in the Captain's office along with Lyta Alexander and Harry Potter.

Michael was giving his report. "… and she doesn't know how the hell she got into that hallway with the PPG." He turned to Lyta. "It's looking more and more like what you told us is right. It's almost like she was being unconsciously controlled. It's the only thing that makes sense."

The Captain nodded and looked at his second with compassion. Susan was really broken up about this. He turned to the visitor. "Mr. Potter. Although I've heard what was reported, I haven't heard exactly who you are." He looked at Michael. "And you know him?"

Michael looked at Harry and nodded. "Yeah. He pulled my ass out of a tough spot back on Mars. Showed up out of the blue and kept me from being killed in an accident on Sirium Planum." He looked at his boss. "He's … a special case. But a good guy. I'd trust my life with him. I'll let him explain – cause it's kind of freaky and it's better it comes from him."

The Captain looked at Harry. "I'm a dimensionally-challenged wizard." Everyone looked at him in disbelief, except Michael – who laughed out loud. Harry gave him a withering look and then looked back at Sheridan. "Due to a magical … miscalculation on my part, I've become unstuck in the multiverse. I show up in different times and places where I can make a small or big difference. I've met all of you a number of times, except it was different versions of yourselves."

Sheridan looked at the rest of the command staff as if to say, "Are you buying this?"

Michael, still smirking, volunteered, "Maybe you should let me pull up his security jacket." Sheridan nodded. "Computer. Retrieve File on Harry Potter, Record 6245-4."

"Identification and Password Authorization Required."

"Security Chief Michael Garibaldi. Security Code B17L98. File Password: Lone Traveler."

"Password Accepted."

"Display file on screen."

The command staff, except Michael, as well as Lyta all crowded around the monitor and started looking it over. Michael just grinned at Harry. Harry just smiled and shrugged back.

When they were done, they looked at Harry in a new light.

"So you just show up at new places?" Susan asked.

"Yes. Never know where and it's not really under my control. From what I have been told there is a … higher power … directing my placement."

"God?"

Harry chuckled. "No. One of his grandkids. Or at least that's what he told me."

Everyone, including Michael this time, looked at Harry in complete disbelief. Harry just gave a Marauder's grin back at them and refused to say more. Each of them took what he said with a grain of salt.

Everyone sat down. "Okay. For the moment, I'll buy it." Sheridan looked at Lyta. "So, how can we verify this?"

Lyta replied, "All I have to do is send the password. The reaction will be noticeable. If the false personality takes over, it will be obvious."

Harry was appalled. "Woah, woah, woah … WOAH! What do mean 'the false personality will take over'?"

Lyta explained the Psi-Corp program and explained that the only way to verify was to activate the implanted personality.

"So you're just going to sacrifice this woman just to verify it? All her life? Her hopes and dreams?" Harry was appalled.

Lyta replied in frustrated tone. "That's all we can do! And it's too dangerous NOT to check!"

"Aren't you a telepath? Can't you just look in her head and check her out?"

Lyta angrily said, "I'm a P5! These commands were implanted by, probably, P12s! There's no way I can fix it. And it requires a human to see because alien minds are too different. And according to what I've learned – it's irreversible. It CAN'T be repaired."

Harry stood up in determination. "I cannot accept that! I will not be a party to destroying a woman's mind and soul without making any effort at all! I won't STAND for it!"

Sheridan was sympathetic. "What else can we do? I don't like it any more than you do. But we have no choice!"

Harry shook his head. "There's always a choice." HE took a deep breath. "I am a Master Legimens. I learned under two masters as well as a few gods and goddesses in different universes. I've seen probably every type of mental attack. I'll go in and look. And if I find it, I'll make every effort to fix it. Without destroying her."

Susan's face took on a look of hope. She looked at the Captain. "I …." Everyone looked at her. "I think it's a good idea."

Everyone in the room looked shocked, except Harry. Garibaldi was stunned. "Wow! I've NEVER heard you agree to ANYTHING telepathic."

Susan's reply was heated. "She's my friend! And she's a telepath. I know her. If it's the only way to fix it … it should be done. We at least have to try."

Everyone looked at Lyta. She looked discombobulated. "Don't ask me. This is WAY beyond what I can do." She paused. "I'd like to telepathically check to see that he's telling the truth though."

Everyone looked at Harry. He shrugged. "Sure."

Lyta concentrated on Harry and was taken aback. "Those shields are stronger than a Psi-Cop's!"

Harry grinned. "You have to give me time to make a door – otherwise, you'd never get in." The others in the room were stunned, even if they were only witnessing it. "Come on back in. Knock on the wall and I'll let you in."

The command staff watched as the two others in the room engaged in … whatever it was that they were doing. It took about 15 minutes. But suddenly, Lyta took a deep breath and then slumped. She closed her eyes as she gathered herself and then opened them to look at the others. She had a look of awe on her face.

"He isn't lying. About anything. He's probably the only person in any universe who isn't a god who could do it. Except one of his teachers might have been strong enough – but he was too much of a bastard to have cared enough to do it right. So Harry is the better choice."

* * *

Harry and Stephen were present in the isolation medlab. The command staff was watching from behind the glass partition. It was decided that this was the best choice. Franklin could be on hand to monitor her vitals and to take steps if it all went to hell.

Talia had agreed to the scan, not believing for a moment that it was true. She had only been told that Harry was a P8. The artificial personality didn't stop this because it knew that it would take a P12 to even find the window – and opening it was impossible.

Harry was sitting comfortably in a chair in front of Talia who was in another chair. She was strapped down to prevent flailing. Suddenly, Harry pulled out a stick and pointed it at her. She was confused. He whispered, "Legimens!"

* * *

The command staff watched the two. It had been over two hours already and there was no sign of either moving or giving any indication that they were aware of their surroundings at all. Stephen had even walked out to talk to the others and no monitor showed even an iota of a change.

There had been changed in heartbeat and respiration. Increases and decreases had occurred. None were sudden. That changed at the three and a half-hour mark. Suddenly, Talia tensed up to unbelievable proportions and looked as though she were trying to get away.

The others watched in alarm.

Just as suddenly, Talia just … relaxed. She slumped over even as Harry pulled back and blinked his eyes. He took a deep breathe and then looked up. "It's done." He turned to the window. "We need to talk."

* * *

Harry was sitting in the Captain's office. He was drinking hot tea and trying to regain his strength even as he talked. "Everything Ms. Alexander told you was true. There were blocks and compulsions and commands all implanted around a personality that was buried in her mind. These commands were reinforced with drugs and pain."

He sighed as he thought about it. "Luckily, it wasn't a REAL personality. I have experience with possession." Everyone looked interested at that but Harry shook his head. "Not something you want to know about – it would give you nightmares."

The way he said it convinced them that he was being honest … and it was better not to know.

"Luckily, all of these commands were actually foreign to her personality … to her soul. Therefore I could wall her mind off from it completely. Once that was done and the blockage from her was taken down, she and I could work together. I needed her as it was her mind, but I could provide the muscle to get the process working."

He looked at them with a tough of disgust. "The things that were implanted into her were some of the most vile and base impulses I have ever encountered. Whoever did this to her aught to be kissed by a dementor." At their confused look he explained. "A demon present in my original world who would eat the souls of those they attacked … used for capital punishment in the society I was part of."

Sheridan said with disgust, "That's evil. How can you say that?"

Harry gave him such a look that he was taken aback. "I agree. It IS evil. And if there is one thing I cannot stand in all the universes I've been to, it's dementors. I've met Gods who were so evil they had to be destroyed who I wouldn't consign to a dementor. And dementors are the embodiment of fear. For me to even think it was justified to use them … I never could have imagined it before I saw what was done to that poor woman."

Everyone looked at Harry in shock. He sighed. "It's probably a good thing that there are no dementors in this universe. Anyway …." He shook his head. "Anyway. She was encoded to implant subtle suggestions." He looked at them. "The underground railroad for telepaths? She implanted commands in a number of those she's met. Not to change their personality, but to avoid ever coming back. Whoever instigated this wants telepaths that refuse to be controlled to become unavailable to anyone who really needs their help."

The command staff looked confused. "Who could need their help?" Susan asked.

Harry considered answering, but decided that the timeline shouldn't be mucked around with too much. "The only thing I can say is: You'll figure it out, eventually. And not too late." None looked happy, but they all nodded in acceptance. "It even implanted commands in that P12 that came through."

Lyta was confused. "How can a P5 effect a P12? They don't have the strength!"

Harry looked at her with pity. "All telepaths are ever taught in this world are brute-force methods. Whoever taught this implanted personality was different: They taught the personality how to finesse the process. It's not always about power. It's about how you use it. I'm not a 'telepath' according to your definition. But I have more mental ability than probably anyone you've ever met or ever will meet. It's not about power … it's about knowledge. Trust me. The commands were placed."

He grinned then. "I also taught Talia … the real Talia … how to reverse it. She can't stay here. And she can't go back to Psi-Corp. So she's going to go meet up with the underground and find those that have been infected and reverse it."

"How will that work?" Michael asked. "Psi-Corp is going to go nuts if a telepath disappears. It will raise an alert to holy hell."

Harry grinned. "She's going to be a double-agent. How to contact her 'Control' was part of the commands she had implanted. We got rid of the compulsions but not the knowledge. She's going to report that she was compromised by Ms. Alexander here sending to control command and that she has escaped your clutches in order to facilitate the commands her implanted personality wanted enforced after she 'follows Ms. Alexander' here to 'Destroy the threat'." He looked smug. "They won't say a thing. Just file an 'Unofficial' complaint through that Psi-Cop that seems to take too much interest in you people. He'll make sure that no one looks too hard."

Everyone else in the room sighed in relief. They had a plan.

Harry looked troubled. "What?" Sheridan asked.

He paused and then replied, "I need to talk to Susan privately. There were a few things that came up."

Everyone looked at the member in question. She was giving him a hard look. Finally she nodded. "Okay." She stood and looked at the Captain. "Permission to take a break. This sounds important."

Sheridan nodded. "It's getting to be close to the end of your shift anyway. I'll take it for the day."

Susan nodded and motioned for Harry to follow her.

* * *

Susan had taken Harry to her quarters. She knew that whatever he told her was not going to be good and that she wanted no one to witness it. She just had a feeling.

The two sat down in the chairs in the main room. "So, what's this about?"

Harry sighed. "I'm going to guess a few things and then tell you." Susan nodded. "You're patently against telepathic scans." Nod. "The only telepath you've gotten close to in the last fifteen years is Talia." Nod. "You've developed strong, hidden feelings for her. You might even be in love with her." Hesitant nod. "You were almost ready to open up to her. To open your mind to her. To let her see the real you." Stronger nod.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this. Your feelings aren't real."

Susan was shocked. "What do you mean?"

Trying to not be too emotional, Harry explained. "The hidden personality used a subtle probe to find the connection you used to have with your Mum. It's been subverting it to make you love Talia. Once you opened up to her, it was going to implant a much stronger compulsion to allow the false personality to control you. It was going to make you into a mental slave."

Susan was horrified. As she contemplated what she was being told, she was torn between rage and grief. Harry slowly stood up and moved around to her and embraced her. She fought for just a moment … and then completely broke down.

Susan sobbed in Harry's arms for half an hour. Finally, she calmed down enough where she was no longer actively sobbing, but still tears ran. She pulled back and Harry let go. He led her to the loveseat and sat next to her with his arm around her shoulder to provide comfort.

Finally she said, "Tell me about it."

And he did. "The connection with your Mum is still there. It's just missing the other half. And because it's the representation of true love in your mind, it's the one thing that you never question … never think about … never let anyone see. It's yours as almost nothing else in your mind could ever be. It's the one opening that could be used to subvert your free will. It also reinforced the hatred for scans from others – so that no one would ever find the implants that it was going to create."

Susan considered that. As she though about it, she started to get angry. Before she could move into rage, Harry interrupted her. "Susan!" She looked at him. "If you allow me, I can do something that probably no one else could do. I can show you, in your own mind, the implants and the subversions and how they can be gotten rid of." She was about to protest but he forced her to listen. "I can then show you how to make certain that it's never used to control you again. I can show you techniques from my world that are far, far better to protect your mind than anything found in your world. When I am done, you will be able to protect yourself from anything and anyone less than God, if you so desire. Even his grandkids couldn't break you."

Susan stood up and paced as she considered the offer. Everything she was fought against the idea … except what he had just done for Talia.

Finally she looked at him. "I'll agree to getting rid of the implants. If Michael is here and watches. I trust him far more than I trust you … but I can trust just enough for this."

Harry nodded. "Actually, that kind of ties in with something that I thought of … an idea." He looked at her. "I'd like to teach you to create and nurture bonds with your closest friends. Maybe you can at least notice if they are ever controlled or altered mentally." With some intensity he said, "I want to teach you to be the only true Legimancer in this universe. You won't have a lot of power – but you will be far more versatile and far better than any 'telepath' could ever be as far as control goes."

Susan actually got a small, vicious grin at that.

Harry cautioned her. "It will take practice. I'm going to have to teach you how – but you're going to have to do the work every night to clear your mind, build you defenses, and then practice the subtle probe. You can't tell anyone about it … a telepath who is prepared for it will notice. If they aren't expecting it, though … let's just say that you will have nothing to worry about."

* * *

Captain Sheridan was surprised the next morning when he met up with Susan. "Susan." She looked at him with interest. "You're … remarkably calm this morning. I was expecting … well, it didn't look good."

She sighed. "It wasn't. But Harry helped me with the problem. Maybe someday I'll explain. He's still around. I let him sleep on my couch and then took him to Michael to get him at least a temporary card."

Sheridan nodded. "That's fine. Just as long as he doesn't get into trouble. I don't want to see his name in a report if I can avoid it." He looked around and dropped his voice. "Those who might cause trouble really shouldn't wind of him."

Susan nodded in agreement. She then paused a moment. "When is Talia going to go?"

"Michael is working that out. It has to look good. As far as anyone knows, she's under house arrest."

Susan nodded. "I need to see her before she goes."

Sheridan was nervous. "Is that a good idea."

Susan smiled. "It will be fine."

"Okay. Just talk to Michael."

* * *

Talia was thinking about the steps she would need to take. She was also waiting for Michael's part of the plan. She needed to send an "all clear" to control soon. Which meant she didn't have much time before she had to get away.

Suddenly the door chimed. She looked up. "Open."

The door opened and Susan walked in. Talia was very nervous. Until she saw the smile. Her own was more hesitant. "Hello, Susan."

"Hello, Talia."

The two talked for twenty minutes. Talia was apologetic and Susan was forgiving. She had seen Harry's memory of the implants and she felt empathy for how Talia had been used herself. The anger she felt was for whoever had done it. When they were done, they both stood up.

Talia had tears in her eyes as she quietly said, "I could have love you."

Susan had a few tears even as she smiled and answered, "I could have loved you too."

The two embraced and cried for a few minutes. They pulled away from each other. Still with their arms around each other. Susan said, "This is goodbye. And good luck. And I hope we cross paths again, when this is over."

Talia nodded. "The same goes for you. I'll always love you as a friend."

"Love as friends."

* * *

Harry spent a good two weeks on the station, spending some time with Susan most nights to continue to work with her and teach her techniques and methods. Anyone not in the know thought that she had gotten a boyfriend.

Because she wasn't magical and had only the slightest telepathic power, it took some time for Harry to teach her sufficient finesse with what she had for it to be useful.

Harry found that Susan had an echo of magical talent. She probably wouldn't be considered even a squib back in his world. But it was astonishing in the fact that it existed at all.

It was as though God had put her in this place with just enough magic, just enough telepathy, just enough charisma, just enough empathy – just enough of EVERYTHING – so that she could at least relate to anyone and anything she ever met. Susan Ivanova had the most potential for ANY path of anyone he have encountered in all the worlds he had visited.

Susan would be a leader no matter what world she lived in.

She and the others had been present when Harry had finally moved on. It was a beautiful sight to behold. And, internally, she thanked God (she had seen his memory of Him) for allowing Harry to visit and teach her.

Harry had been far better than any counselor, priest, rabbi, or shrink than anyone she had ever met. For the first time since her mother's suicide, she knew she was mentally healthy – or at least on the road. She just had to practice her occlumency every night until it was perfect.

* * *

Susan smirked as she considered Marcus. He thought he was being so sneaky in hiding his growing feelings for her. She had noticed much earlier than she would have if Harry hadn't helped her the year before. She wasn't going to play games with his heart, but she decided that she would make him work for it. She really did like and respect him and it really could go far. She wanted it to grow naturally, though.

Besides, she had caught a glimpse in Harry's mind of the two of them together. And her hardheadedness about love was just a screen for those who weren't willing to look deeper. She'd find out soon if Marcus was the type to look deep enough.

* * *

Susan considered Michael as the meeting broke up. He had been lost and then found and she, through the bond that she had created with him, knew that he had been altered mentally.

The only reason she knew was because the blocks were mental – and the bonds she created were on the level of the soul. No telepath could ever break that connection. She decided to act.

* * *

Michael was in his room after the long day. It really looked like everything was going to hell. And that guy with Sheridan really pissed him off. His thoughts were interrupted when the door chimed.

He called, "Enter!" even as he sat up. "Susan! What are you doing here?"

Susan walked in and smiled at her friend, her smile showing some concern. "I wanted to talk to you because I noticed something when we were in that meeting."

"What did you see?"

She sighed. "Someone did a 'Talia' on you."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "What!?"

She looked at him with compassion. "Harry taught me how to see it when he visited and helped her. That's what he was doing for those two weeks while he was here. Teaching me to see when it happened to a friend … and teaching me how to fix it."

Michael was horrified. "Someone implanted a fake personality?" Nod. "And you can fix it?" Nod. He got up and paced for a moment. Everything in him was fighting to protest – but he was just enough of himself to not dismiss it out of hand. Besides … if it was true, the false personality would cause him to not allow her to fix it. So, through to compulsions that hadn't had enough time to grow, he replied, "Do it."

Susan nodded and sat down.

It was a long process. When Susan finally got Michael through the last blocks to the implanted commands, they were both horrified. If this personality had been activated … it would have been a disaster. But finally, after three hours, it was fixed.

When it was done Michael asked, "What do we do? There's no proof."

Susan considered it. "Why don't we see the Captain and talk to him? And then we can decide."

Garibaldi nodded. And then sighed. "I'm gonna have to apologize to him and that Lorien guy." He took on a pout. "I hate having to apologize."

Susan laughed.

* * *

Lorien was talking. "Only those whose life is brief can imagine that love is eternal. You should embrace that remarkable illusion. It might be the greatest gift your race have ever seen."

Finally, Susan grinned. "Oh, I plan to." Lorien was surprised – and as the oldest sentient being in the universe, this had not happened in quite a long time.

It actually gave him hope for the future of the universe – something he had been faking for a very long time.

* * *

Michael walked in. He sighed as he said. "I just got a 'secret message' to activate the 'Talia' program. Someone back on Earth is making plans."

Everyone took a shocked breath. Susan asked the Captain. "So what do we do?"

It was finally decided that Michael would be the 'Double Agent' – apparently doing what he was "programmed" to do. Luckily, because of the work he and Susan had done, he was also immune to telepathic probes now.

He wasn't telepathic at all and so he couldn't do what Susan did, but that didn't mean he couldn't use it.

* * *

When Susan commenced the attacks against the advanced destroyers, she clamped down on her emotions and used her tactical senses to the full. As a result, she hadn't placed the ship in a position to be hit by the debris. She never got injured enough to take her out of the fight.

* * *

Susan looked back at her life. It had been long and interesting. There had been joys, sorrows, defeats, victories … but she had been in control of herself since she was in her thirties, when Harry Potter had visited her and helped her to overcome her problems.

Marcus, her husband, had died the year before. She felt that her part was done. It was time. She would go on to her next great adventure with a smile and with real joy in her heart.

She was found the next day by her great-grandson, who was a Ranger who worked for her directly. There was a joyful smile on her still face.


	12. Battle of the Line

A/N: I was feeling epicly dramatic today.

* * *

Crossover: Babylon 5, Battle of the Line, Sinclair is found to have the soul of Valen

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Delenn took the triluminary and held it toward the captured human. All the Minbari watched as, once again, the triluminary, relic of Valen, one of the holiest pieces of their culture, showed the terrible truth.

She turned toward those watching and said, "This human has the soul of a Minbari. And not just any soul: He has the soul of Valen!"

The council members in attendance almost keened in their despair.

"We must …" before she could finish the entire room was shocked as a light appeared before them. It hovered in the air and then slowly coalesced into a bipedal figure. Suddenly, the light winked out. And in front of them was a human dressed in odd clothing.

"Who are you?" Delenn asked the man.

Harry looked around and saw something which had been described to him in one of his travels. "I am the Master of Death and the Lone Traveler. Would you accept my advice, Delenn of Mir, to end this conflict?"

What shocked the watching Minbari was the newly arrived human's perfect Minbari dialect. He had spoken in Adrenato – the Grey language of the Religious caste.

She looked around to seek guidance from her fellow Minbari. One of the Warrior caste members of the Council asked, "Why are you here?"

In perfect Vik, the Dark language of the Warriors, he replied, "I am here to help you."

Surprised that the stranger knew his own base language, he nodded to Delenn.

Delenn turned and asked, "What should we do?"

"Do not surrender. Order a cease-fire. Tell the humans that new information has come to you and that you shall speak amongst yourselves and decide in two hours. Pull back, but do not leave. And then call the most ardent anti-Human, pro-War captain in your fleet to come here."

The watching Grey Council members were confused by these suggestions, but wanting to end the conflict now, did as was asked.

* * *

The Earth ships were fighting with their last breath. Despair was felt but pushed aside for resolve: They would not allow their world to be destroyed.

Suddenly, every Minbari gun stopped firing. Every fighter retreated from the battle and the Minbari fleet hung in front of them. The Earthers, in shock, also stopped firing.

Suddenly, a broad band message was played across the fleet.

"We have ordered a ceasefire for our fleet to resolve new information that has come to us just now. In two Earth hours, we shall inform you of our decision. We shall not attack but will defend. We shall not maneuver during this ceasefire."

* * *

The Captain of the Trigadi, Alyt Sineval, was incensed that he had been ordered to stop killing the humans. But a request to consult with the Grey Council could not be ignored. And so he flew his Nial class fighter toward the great ship which carried his leaders.

* * *

The Nine were nervous as they followed the dictates of their visitor. Having lost their certainty so abruptly, for this one moment in their history their arrogance was sufficiently punctured to listen and act on outside advice – their own judgment was suspect. At any other time, to act as they were being directed to would have been anathema.

They stood in conference, the captured human in front of them. Their visitor had miraculously healed what they had inflicted upon him during his interrogation and then had erased his memory of it. As far as he knew, he had been captured and was facing judgement for the first time. He had also been implanted with a suggestion to remember one thing.

Harry sighed as he hoped his brash idea would work.

Harry stood in the room also. He had transfigured his clothes into a robe with a cowl and had performed a spell so none could see his face.

The Minbari could not understand how anyone could do as their visitor had done.

Soon, a warrior entered and the Grey Council turned to him.

Coplann, Warrior caste and member of the Council, motioned to a watching worker and the worker pushed a few buttons. Suddenly, every ship in the Minbari fleet could hear the discussions. Every command vessel received a hologram on their tactical display.

Coplann spoke, "Sineval, of the Star Riders clan, Warrior caste, we have asked you to come as you are known as the most vocal proponent of this war in the fleet. It has been said that the Grey Council never tells the whole truth. This discussion is being transmitted to the entire fleet so that the truth is not hidden. We do not think our people are ready to hear what we have learned, but the Universe itself has conspired to cause us to not hide these truths in the Dark. Are you willing to hear what we have learned?"

Shocked at the idea that the Grey Council would actually be up front, he replied, "I am."

If anyone could have witnessed them all, they would have seen that every warrior and Minbari in the fleet was feeling the same titillation as though they were peeking at their elders in an intimate moment.

Coplann nodded. "During the fighting, it was suggested that we take a human for intelligence gathering. At random, one was picked from the sky and brought here. He has been questioned – and we were not easy. Further examination was required."

He moved to a covered tray and pulled off its cover.

"Do you know what this is?" Coplann asked.

Siveval nodded thoughtfully. "It is a triluminary. It is a relic of Valen."

"Do you know what it shows?"

"No." The Alyt was very curious.

"According to all records, it lit with a brilliant light when near Valen. It lights but dimly when a child of Valen is examined with it. It is also used to determine hidden truths." Coplann walked over and put it in front of Sineval, who looked at it curiously.

Nothing happened.

Coplann then moved and stood in front of one of the Nine. Pushing it toward the slight figure, the light on the triluminary showed a pale light. Sineval was shocked.

The figure, Religious caste from what he could discern, spoke. "I was the student of Dukhat. I held him as he died. In my rage, mine was the deciding vote to begin our holy war. I am the one who demanded a prisoner. Do you understand?"

Sineval nodded. "Yes, Satai. Most wise."

"Then let us see more wisdom."

Coplann moved to stand in front of the restrained human, who had no knowledge of the language spoken and no idea what they were talking about. The figure pushed a device toward him and suddenly a very bright light shown forth.

Sinclair was very confused, but ever watchful.

Coplann turned. "Do you see what we have discovered?"

Sineval, in shock, could barely utter the words. "The human has … he shows as being Valen himself."

"He has the soul of a Minbari and, yes, it is the soul of Valen. Because of what we have found, we captured other humans. Out of 9 captured, three were shown to have Minbari souls. Do you understand our problem?"

Sineval, still in shock, nodded.

"Let us question this human." Coplann turned and said. "What is his name?"

The figure dressed in odd robes asked in the Human language, "What is your name?"

"Jeffrey Sinclair, Earthforce, Lieutenant, J42T74-Omicron."

Sighing, Harry said quietly, "Don't give me name, rank, serial number if you want to end this war." He turned and translated the response to Vik.

"What did you say to him after his answer?" Upon hearing the explanation, the watching Council members nodded.

Coplann took up the next question. "Are you a member of your people's warrior Caste?"

The answer was both clean and confusing at once. "We have no Warrior caste. I am a member of the Military – like my fathers before me for over two hundred years."

"If you could kill one of us, knowing you would die, would you do so?"

"Yes."

"Knowing that it will not change your people's fate, and that you might survive if you stayed your hand, would you still attack?"

"Yes. I would count it a victory."

"Why?"

"Because there would be one less of you to attack my people."

"Would you ever surrender?"

"Not unless it would guarantee my people's survival."

"Why? Why fight if you know you cannot win? What value is it?"

Sinclair took on a resolute face and said, "Tennyson, one of our greatest poets said it best:

"Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and _not_ to yield."

Coplann and the remaining Minbari considered the human's words.

Harry motioned, "I would ask him another question: Do you want to fight? And why or why not?"

Coplann looked to the others and then nodded to Harry. Harry asked his questions.

"No," came the reply. "Isaac Asimov said, 'Violence is the Last Resort of the Incompetent'. War should only come when there are no other options available. But one should always fight for what he holds dear. Honor is greater than life. So says the Way of the Warrior. Of course Patton said, 'It's not your job to die for your country, it's your job to make the other bastard die for his'."

"What means would you use to win?"

"Any. Means. Necessary." The watching Minbari understood that what was just said was said with complete confidence in the truth of it even it they had to wait for the translation.

Finally Coplann turned to Sineval. "What would you have us do? There stands before you a human, our sworn enemy, who holds the soul of Valen. He will not surrender, he will not stop; he will only fight until he is dead or his people's life is assured." Coplann sighed. "Do we kill the human with the soul of Valen, and all the other humans, amongst which are many Minbari souls?"

Sineval looked to the council in confusion. "What would you have me say?"

Delenn, who had only spoken the once, spoke again. "We would end this. Too many have died on both sides. Valen said that we would have to join with the other part of our soul to win the war with the Darkness that is to come. But you, the greatest of the Warrior caste within this war: What will you do? Will you continue fighting? Or would you have us find another way? "

Sineval took his pike and extended it and stood there, looking at the human captive, bound as he was, who still stood tall and unflinching. Finally Sineval sighed and dropped his pike.

"I do not know what is right. But I will fight no more this day. End this as you will."

He then turned and, leaving his pike upon the floor, left the chamber.

Delenn motioned to Coplann, asking for the chance to speak. Coplann nodded. Delenn stood forward and spoke the entire fleet. "We will end this. And upon our return to Minbar, we shall, all of us, hold a Rebirthing ceremony so that we Minbari can remake ourselves into what is needed to face the future as one people. I would have the fleet listen to our words to the humans and then move to Minbar directly. Does the Grey Council agree?"

The other members' positions all lit up in agreement. The transmission was cut.

Delenn turned to their visitor and said, "What now?"

* * *

The Earthforce fleet waited nervously, watching the unmoving Minbari fleet, poised to assault their home world.

Efforts were made to evacuate even more people, and the Minbari did nothing to prevent it. The clock ticked down, and they waited.

With only a few seconds left until the two hour mark, communications panels across the fleet and across Earth itself lit up – a message was being sent.

A group of people in robes and cowls stood together. Off to side, another figure stood out. The lead figure, a slight one with a woman's voice, slightly distorted, began talking. At first they were afraid, because the voice wasn't speaking in English. But the separate figure began translating and they calmed down.

"People of Earth. We of the Minbari arrived to your home system to end our holy war.

"Understand this: Three years ago, we were approached in our space by ships unknown to us. We approached with Gun Ports open as is the custom of our warriors to show that we assume that those we meet have equal strength. We scanned these vessels to find out who had come into our space.

"In deliberation or in panic or for some other reason, these ships opened fire upon us. The ship they attacked was holding the leaders of all the Minbari people. Among those leaders was a man who was held by us all as the best of all Minbari. In this attack, in our space, from forces unknown, this leader of our people was killed.

"Imagine if you will that in these latter days a man was born who was acknowledged by all of your people as one who held the spirit and wisdom of Christ. One who was beginning to teach you and to lead you to a future in the light of God. And now imagine that forces unknown to you suddenly appeared among you and killed him. What would you do?"

There was a pause as the listening fleet considered that. Quite a number of them paled as, for the first time, they grasped exactly what had happened.

"Such was what we experienced. And so, we went to war. Not to subjugate – but to destroy every last vestige of those who could commit such a crime against the soul of our people.

"During this battle, we took prisoners and we questioned them. And we learned the soul of your people."

A recording of Jeffrey Sinclair's questioning was shown. The listening audience were filled with pride in his answers – pride tempered by nervousness and resignation.

"And this is what this war between us has been about: The Soul of the Minbari people against the Soul of the Human people. And in this time and place, we have learned that your soul is not found wanting."

"We have decided that further attempts at destroying you would taint our souls beyond redemption. And this we will not do, unless it becomes necessary to protect ourselves. And so we do as we must and we end this holy war. We shall return to our own worlds. We shall accept ambassadors to finalize the agreements that are necessary when two peoples cease their fighting and must now make plans for the future."

"In this war, there is no winner: Only losers. We have lost and you have lost. Let there be no more fighting between us."

Suddenly, several Earthforce fighters that had been captured were released by a number of capital ships. The entire Minbari fleet then turned and disappeared into hyperspace.

The entire Line watched in shock, barely able to understand that the war which had killed so many was finally over.

* * *

Harry, the Lone Traveler, watched as the nine leaders of Minbar stood in contemplation. Feeling the call, he waved his hands and his clothing returned to its original form.

The group looked at him and he said, "The future requires that you act in concert with the best parts of humanity. I wish you luck in your quest."

He turned and all could see the man begin to shrink down into a swirling ball of blue light. Around them, a song of both victory and loss, tinged with hope, filled the space. The Nine watched as the light disappeared and the song slowly faded into the night.


	13. The Hokey Pokey? Voice in the Wilderness

A/N: Feeling philosophical today …

* * *

Scene: Babylon 5 Season 1 Episode 18/19: A Voice in the Wilderness Parts 1 and 2

* * *

Fanfiction title: Understanding Humans

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

 **Londo Mollari stood and walked to the door as it opened. "Ah, Delenn. What can I do for you?"**

 **As the two Minbari entered Delenn said, "I was taking my friend on a tour of the station and thought that I would introduce you. Drall," she addressed her companion, "this is Ambassador Londo Mollari of the Centauri Republic. Ambassador Mollari, this is Drall: For many years my mentor, and teacher."**

 **Londo gave the man a genuine smile. "I am honored."**

 **Drall replied, "Thank you. I hope that we are not intruding."**

 **Londo replied. "Oh, no, no, no. I was just doing a little studying."**

 **"Oh," Delenn said.**

 **"Yes. These Earthers. I try to find out as much as I can about them to try to make some sense of them, but it never seems to come together."**

 **Delenn replied, "They do seem to be a mass of contradictions." She had some sympathy for Londo's dilemma.**

 **"Exactly my point. Here." He held up his finger. "6000 years of recorded history. A history that includes remarkable composers, astonishing symphonies, but: What is the one song that half of them sing to their children generation after generation?"**

 **The two Mimbari looked at each other and neither knew. Londo, with a look of triumph, started singing, "You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out,** …."

Before he could finish the lyric, the three were interrupted by a bright blue light appearing in the middle of the room. As the three watched, astonished, it formed into the figure of a humanoid. Suddenly the light disappeared and standing in front of them was a man, an Earther, dressed in very odd clothing.

The man looked at them for a moment and then put his hands to his chest. "Delenn, of the House of Mir. I greet thee on this glorious day." To the astonishment of the Minbari, the Earther spoke in perfect Adaranto – the language of the Religious caste. Londo was confused. His confusion increased when the man said in perfect Centauri, "Greetings, Londo Mollari, Lord of the House Mollari. I bid you great wealth and health." In English he added, "I am sorry, I do not know the third one. My name is Harry Potter, of the Houses of Potter and Black. I am also known as the Lone Traveler." Delenn noted that Londo was as confused as she was.

As the first one greeted, Delenn spoke. "Hello, Harry Potter, Lone Traveler. I do not know you. This is my old mentor, Drall. We are in the quarters of the Centauri Ambassador. How have you come here today?"

Harry grinned. "Sorry. I've met various versions of you in different universes." The three were astonished. "I've helped you and the people on Babylon 5 a time or two. Or a dozen, as a matter of fact. I've even helped Londo here – as well as his Emperor. I show up as needed and disappear when have helped who needs help. What were you just discussing?"

The three looked at each other and Londo finally said, "We were just discussing how consusing your Earthers are." As he spoke, his passion increased. "I was just telling these two: Your people have 6000 years of recorded history. Remarkable composers and symphonies of such beauty that it makes the heart weep – and yet, the song that most of you sing to your children – I just don't understand it!"

Harry looked at Londo curiously, "What song?"

Once again, Londo started singing. "You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out," as Londo sang it, Harry grinned more and more, "you put your whole self in and you turn yourself about. You do the hokey pokey, you give a little shout: That's what it's all about!"

Londo looked at Harry. "I've been studying this for seven days! It doesn't mean anything! I've tried to find out and I've come up with nothing. What is with this song?"

Harry looked at Londo and laughed out loud. When he got himself under control he said, "That IS what it's all about."

At Londo's almost murderous look, Harry said, "Tell you what, put out some non-alcoholic drinks and I'll explain it to you all."

Londo nodded. "I'll make some hot jala."

Finally the four sat at Londo's table and Harry said, "You want to understand humans, right?"

The three all nodded at each other and said, "Yes."

"Okay, then. First of all, to be human is more than one thing. Let's take what we admire: We revere the great men of war and we revere the great men of peace. We admire the men of great skill, and we admire the common work of the common man. We revere the elderly for their wisdom, and hold sacred the children among as for the hope they bring for the future. And in all of this, what we hold most is the drive to _live_. To _learn_. To _feel_."

Harry paused and thought for a moment. "Let's take music. What is the purpose of music? What IS music?"

The three consulted with each other, "It is notes and passages of sounds which work together in harmony," Delenn said.

Harry grinned and said, "Sometimes. Before I explain, let me ask: What purpose is music?"

Drall thoughtfully replied, "It draws the soul toward the perfection, allows us to become one with the universe."

Harry chuckled and replied, "Maybe. What makes music good?"

Londo replied, "One can understand it – it speaks to you."

Harry's face took on a smile. "THAT is closest. Music is art. And like any art, it is – in it's most basic form, a communication. We have sculptors for example, who make pieces that any man who saw it could understand and respond to. And we call this great art. We also have sculptors who make these odd conglomeration of pieces which, when put together, seems to hold meaning and value beyond our ability to comprehend. Is this good art?"

The three considered. Delenn finally said, "We don't know."

Harry chuckled. "It might be. The question, which answers THAT question, is: Does it make us feel?"

The three considered that.

"Art, in all its forms, in the end, is to make us feel – to make us connect – to allow us to become more than we were. And that's what music is about. For what purposes do your people sing, Delenn?"

Delenn took a moment and then replied, "As Drall said, to the Minbari music is a way to refine one's soul, to make one closer to the universe and all its glory. The chants we sing resonate with us. The songs of warriors bring out their warrior spirit. The songs of the workers revere the work in shaping the universe."

Harry shook his head. "How about fun? Isn't music fun?"

"Ye ..yeeeesss. It can be."

"It can be. To a human, we have songs which talk about every part of human experience. We have songs of love, songs of hate, songs of despair, songs of hope. I can name you songs which revere the love of God, and songs that rebuke and accuse God. In most Earth religions, there is a figure of evil we call the Devil or Satan. I can name popular songs from my earth which give the Devil his own acknowledgement. And pious members of our communities know and loves these songs. How can this be?"

Delenn was frustrated. "Humans are a mass of contradictions."

"No. Humans are a mass of emotions. To emote is to feel, to feel is to live. To a human, the moment one loses the ability to feel and to become one with others through these emotions is the moment that one dies. We live to experience – to feel. We sing songs of peace and we sing songs about God as we march into war. Such songs strengthen us – they inspire us. When we decide on a path, we hold to is as tightly as we can, as long as we can, until we can no longer do so, because to do this is to really live.

"If we fight, we will fight to the death because to do otherwise is to accept defeat – to accept death. And humans do not accept death. We use it. We drive toward it. Everything dies. But if our death can serve a purpose? It is the best death of all. We mourn the death of a soldier who dies to protect us, but we celebrate as well. We acknowledge the sheer life in his actions and how this death served the purpose of life. The deaths we truly mourn and do not accept or understand are those deaths that are without meaning; that contain no life or hope. THESE are the deaths that we reject. I am certain that most humans, knowing that they would die the next day, if they had the chance, they would celebrate until it was time. We have a saying, a salute, that is given on the eve of great battles: Eat, Drink, and be Merry! For tomorrow, we die!"

Harry paused as the three looked to be receiving a revelation. "Music is about life – every part of it. Now your little song: Do you want to see the reason for it?"

Londo, who had been pounding his head against this, nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"

"Okay. Everyone stand up and let's make a space. Is there any way we can make a circle on the floor which can hold all of us?"

Harry helped the Ambassador make a space. He looked around for moment to find a way to mark a circle until Harry interrupted him. "Let me – I have some skills. This is called: Magic."

Harry took his wand and used it to make a fairly large circle. The three looked at him with awe. "I'm a wizard – found in some dimensions but not all. Now, everyone move to just outside the circle – equal distance from each other."

They did as he asked and he nodded. "Now, leave dignity and decorum out of this. There is no confusion here, there is no august rank – there is only we who are having fun. We will not make fun of or mock each other – unless one of you makes a mistake. Then, by ancient tradition, the others in the circle can smirk and laugh at you. Of course, if by doing so THEY make a mistake, you can smirk and laugh right back. I'm going to sing the traditional version of the song and do the steps – you watch me. And then, each verse will be another body part. Now – before we begin: Hokey is something silly. And poke is moving your finger like this. So Hokey Pokey is a dance which looks like this." Harry then did a little moving around, poking his fingers in the air. It might not be the original but he had never actually learned this dance as a kid, so he made it up as we went.

"Silly isn't it?" he asked with a grin. The three nodded, each smiling back.

"Okay – me first. And then everyone. I'll call the body part to move before each verse."

Harry sang the first verse, acting as the song said:

 _You put your right hand in,_ \- he put his hand over the circle. _  
You put your right hand out,_ \- he pulled his hand from the circle. _  
You put your right hand in,_ \- he put his hand over the circle again. _  
And you shake it all about,_ \- he shook his hand violently

 _You do the hokey pokey_ \- he did the silly dance he had demonstrated _  
and you turn yourself around_ – he continued the dance while turning himself around 360 degrees _  
That what it's all about._ \- he put both hands out as if to say "See?"

"Okay. This time everybody!"

Harry repeated the verse and it took a moment but the group did a passable job. Londo messed it up but quickly got himself together at Harry's grin at his mistake. When the first verse finished Harry called out, "LEFT ARM!" He repeated the lyric with the new body part – watching the group screw it up before correcting themselves. This continued with various body parts: Right leg, left leg, whole head, right hip, left hip, and then the whole body.

At the end, the three aliens had gotten to singing along with the song and when it was over, they laughed at the silliness of it.

"And that, friends, is what it's all about!"

Londo looked at Harry, still smiling, and asked, "What is it about?"

"Fun." Harry smirked. "IF you want philosophy – if you noticed, by the end, we were all moving together – in sync with each other. The great part of the fun is working together. We teach this to our children to get them to get themselves physically involved with the world and to learn to move with each other when necessary."

He grinned and looked around. "We all were together at the end. In the end, I have a piece of each of you – nothing that you will miss but something that makes me more. And you all have a piece of me. In that way we have all become more one with each other. And we like each other more. But if you want to ignore all of that – we did it because it was _fun_."

The three aliens were astounded at the simplicity of it. Harry casually removed the circle with his wand and said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to check in with the Commander – always better to warn them when I arrive."

The three thanked him and he left Londo's quarters. Londo turned and said, "That is a strange one, yes?"

Drall replied, "But remarkably adept at explaining what makes humans so _odd_."

* * *

Harry made his way up to the command deck to find Michael Garibaldi trying to reach the commander and Susan Ivanova, who had gone down to the surface. After a bit of fast talk, he convinced him that he meant no harm. The quick search for records and finding them in various times over the last century and a half was convincing.

When word was heard, Garibaldi quickly made arrangements. The only fly in the ointment was the arrival of an Earth Force Heavy Cruiser. Harry rolled his eyes as the heavy-handed approach the Captain of the ship took. He followed Garibaldi to meet the command staff.

When Harry met up with the Commander and Ivanova, hurried introductions took place. Harry stayed with the Commander as Ivanova went up to CNC. Harry commented to the Commander, "By the way, you should remember something."

"What should I remember?" the Commander asked curiously.

"Chain of command: Who gives you orders?" Harry asked.

Sinclair replied, "Well, as part of the military, I answer to Earthforce Central Command. But my position as Governor is according to the Babylon Treaty and I answer to the President directly."

"So, only the President can order you to cede authority?"

"Yes," Sinclair said thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

Looking innocent Harry replied, "Oh, just curious."

Sinclair gave Harry a hard look and then got the Doctors report about the being recovered from the planet.

Harry decided to skip the meeting with the Captain of the heavy cruiser and made his way to spend time with Ivanova. She was always fun.

* * *

Sinclair got to his office to find the visiting Captain reviewing the information about Babylon 5. When the man saw Sinclair had arrived he shut off the display. "Cushy. All the comforts of home. It'll be a nice change of pace for my men. Good food, some R&R while they're stationed here."

Sinclair lost his cool. "I've just gone over the message you sent upon your arrival, Captain Pierce. Would you like to explain yourself?"

"We were in hyperspace enroute to the Vegan outpost when we received a countermand order from Earthforce command. We were ordered to report here and assume control of this situation."

"On whose authority?"

"Office of Planetary Security," Captain Pierce replied with a smirk.

Commander Sinclair took on a smirk of his own and replied, "That's nice. But my authority was handed personally to me by President Santiago. Any order that countermands MY authority in this sector must come straight from the President. This is a military outpost – but Command is given to Earthforce under the Babylon Treaties. If these treaties are violated, we would be at war with the Minbari, the Narn, the Centauri. Oh. And let's not forget the Vorlons. This is neutral space ONLY under those agreements. I accept that your orders are to ensure that no external forces interfere with Earth jurisdiction but you will not take command of this sector. In this case, I represent not only the military but the civilian authority in this sector of space. If asked, you are here so that your people can experience some R&R. If external forces try to intercede, you may act – if I approve it."

Pierce was livid. "I was ordered to take command and that's what I will do!"

"And if you show me a presidential order allowing it – I'd accept it. The President is a bit busy with Mars. Until I receive confirmation through Gold Channel One from Earthdome – your orders are illegal. Now …" Here Sinclair took a breath. "Now, the alien who controlled the machinery is, unfortunately, very ill. We retrieved him. But without the control, that machinery is unstable. We will do NOTHING to incite any automatic defenses within the complex below to speed up that countdown. This station would not survive the planet destroying itself. We are attempting to heal the alien, or at least get him conscious. Until we know – we do NOTHING. That machinery says 'Doomsday' all over it."

Sinclair pushed a button on his desk, "Ivanova."

"Yes, Commander."

"I am hereby giving you a direct order: Any ship that attempts to approach the planet below without my personal approval is to be shot down at once if they refuse to stop when ordered: Order to retreat, then a warning shot, then a lethal shot. This includes any ship of any race: Centuari, Narn, Drazi, Brakiri … Earthforce. ANY ship which triggers any failsafe is to be considered an immediate and lethal threat to this station and its inhabitants. If there are too many for the defense grid to handle, you are to launch two wings of Starfuries to enforce my order. Do you acknowledge my order?"

"Achknowledged. No ships are to be allowed to approach the planet. Lethal force is authorized if the fail to follow orders to stop and do not stop with a warning shot."

"Sinclair out." He looked at Captain Pierce. "Any questions?"

Pierce looked at the Commander and stomped out of the room.

* * *

The command staff met to review the situation. There was some seismic activity. At the rate it was growing, it would take a week to ten days to move to critical. Sinclair got Pierce on the line. "Captain Pierce, are your people monitoring the increase in seismic activity?"

"Yes, Commander. My people tell me it's minor and shouldn't pose a problem."

Sinclair shook his head. "It increased when the alien was removed and it's growing. Right now, we have a week to ten days. If it speeds up beyond our calculations, I will be forced to order an evacuation of the station. Garibaldi – how long would an evacuation take?"

Garibaldi replied, "Whew. You're talking a quarter million humans and aliens. You're talking three to five days if we're lucky."

Sinclair nodded. "Okay. If we do not have a handle on this in two days, I will give the order. When we have enough of a cushion, I will have to give Captain Pierce the authorization to take steps to land his people and try to turn it off. He's got his orders and if my people are safe I will have to let him act. So we have two days to get this settled or I will sound the bell. Does everyone understand?"

There were murmurs of acceptance. Pierce volunteered, "We will be ready."

"Babylon 5 out."

C&C was bustling when suddenly an unexpected arrival came through the jumpgate. Sinclair ordered, "Tell them to stand bye." Suddenly, a bright light shown throughout the command center.

Ivanova went to the computer. "We're being scanned! They're accessing our language and translation files." After 30 seconds, the light cut off.

Sinclair looked around. "Everybody alright?"

There were a number of "Yes, Sirs."

Ivanova said, "I think so. … We've got a single coming through!"

"This is Takard. We have your language files taken to learn to speak. We have been 500 years searching for this place. We received its call signal." The alien became belligerent. "This world belongs to us! We are last of our people. Searched. 500 years. We will take! Give you ten of your Earth hours to move aside. We do not wish to kill. But we will if you do not let us take what is ours!" The signal cut out.

Sinclair ordered, "Open a channel to the Hyperion." Ivanova nodded. "Pierce, call in any ship that can arrive within 9 hours for backup before they start jamming or something. I'm going to give them 9 hours to leave. You have a minute. Then you can listen in to my response."

Pierce nodded. "Agreed."

After one minute, Sinclair nodded to Ivanova who nodded in return. "This is Jeffrey Sinclair, Military Governor of the Babylon 5 Station. This area is neutral territory under Earth jurisdiction. I give you 9 hours to withdraw. We will accept one person in an unarmed shuttle to come and speak. Otherwise, you are ordered to leave this sector at that time. Babylon 5, Out."

"If those ships so much as twitch in an offensive way, launch all fighters. Coordinate with the Hyperion. If they don't back off, take them out."

"Yes Commander."

Pierce's voice came through the Babcom unit. "We'll be waiting."

Luitentant Corwin sounded out, "Commander! The patient is awake!"

Sinclair nodded. "I need my conversation patched through to Ivanova here as well as Captain Pierce. We need all the information we can get."

* * *

"Is it true this world and its technology belongs to them?" Sinclair asked.

"No! Outcast! Violent! MY people cast them out centuries ago. Signal was not put here for them. Was put here to hide from them. Was given to me when my people died. Sacred trust. Legacy. For the future! I am guardian. Protector. I live in the heart of the machine. We are one. 500 of your years have I waited _in_ the machine."

The Doctor asked, "You've been here all this time and haven't contacted us?"

"No. Only listened to your people. Watched this great place being built. Heard your words. Please! You must stop them! Do not let them take the machine. It is not for them. It is not for this time!"

"Varn. The planet is slowly falling apart."

The alien replied, "Yes. Without guardian, failsafe. Will destroy itself."

"If it blows, it will kill everyone here. Is there anyway to stop it?"

Varn fell back to unconciousness.

"What's your prognosis?" Sinclair asked Franklin.

"He's dying," Franklin said frankly. "My guess he's been dying for a while. That would explain the seismic disturbances. The more that he suffered, the more the system began to malfunction. But without him, the planet is dying. Taking us right along with it."

Sinclair ordered, "Do what you can."

He stepped away. "Captain Pierce, Commander Ivanova. Did you get all that?"

"Yes, Commander," Both replied.

Pierce added, "I don't know if my message got through. We need to start planning soon – these guys will not go away."

Sinclair replied, "Agreed. I am going to speak to the Ambassador and the person with her that heard Varn and spoke to him. See if they have any insight. Captain, if you will: Coordinate with Ivanova for the operation."

"Roger, Commander. Pierce Out."

* * *

"I'm told that you two were there where there when Varn regained consciousness. And he spoke to you." Sinclair spoke to the two Minbari. Harry was standing in the background.

Drall answered, "Yes. But he didn't tell us anything more than he told you."

"How did you come to be there?"

Drall paused and looked at Delenn. "His spirit cried out to me in the night. He appeared before me." Seeing the Commander's reaction Drall added, "So you also saw him!"

"Yes." Before he could add on a voice spoke from the door.

"He appeared to me as well. Called out to me out of nowhere," Londo added. Everyone looked over to see Londo Mollari at the door. "Ambassador Delenn, I cannot imagine that you of all people on this station would hold out on me."

Sinclair looked over. "And the circle is complete." He sighed.

Delenn considered what they were speaking of. She asked Drall, "You know what Varn meant by another." It wasn't really a question.

Drall answered, "Yes. Varn could not ask it. Could not say the words. But it was in his eyes. He's probably forbidden to ask directly. But the answer is there if you would have ears to hear it."

"I wonder why he spoke to you three of all the people available," Delenn asked.

Drall answered, "Maybe because it is we who understand the third rule of sentient life." He looked at the Centauri Ambassador. "You can be of great service, Ambassador, if you are willing to dare greatly."

"You're talking to the Centauri who led the raid on Fallas 12. That was a long time ago, but perhaps it is time to return to my roots, as the humans would say."

"Ambassador. I don't think you fully understand what is being asked of you."

Londo replied to Drall, "I am aware. We will go down but one of us will not return. Yes?"

Drall nodded. "That much is certain. And it will be me."

The Commander asked, "Why you? Why not the Ambassador or I?"

Drall looked at the commander. "I have been searching for meaning, left adrift when my purpose seemed over. This is a great chance to once again serve others. My life will allow all of these people to live. Let my life have meaning again! Let me do what we all know must be done."

The Commander looked to Londo. "You can fly them down?"

Londo said, "As a young and foolish Centauri, I swore I would die on my feet – doing something noble, and brave, and futile. Perhaps it was not so wild a dream as I had thought. Or so foolish. It is better than waiting for the inevitable. We will go. Together."

Before anyone said anything else, Harry interrupted. "Hey. If anyone has been there and can think of a clear picture, I can transport the group down magically. And then bring the ones back who aren't staying."

The commander sighed. It should be him going – but his skills were best served protecting the planet and allowing the others to do what was needed. "Get Varn and go. Take Garibaldi with you. I will go and coordinate with the Hyperion. We'll give you room if there is a fight."

When Sinclair reached CNC he called out, "Contact Captain Pierce and get ready to launch all fighters. Our package to fix the planet is about to leave. Arm defense grid and close blast doors."

"Aye, Commander."

There was a long pause. After a fifteen minute wait, all of a sudden a bright light appeared throughout the area around the planet, encompassing the station as well as the two ships.

Suddenly power dropped and a hologram appeared. "I am sending this message to the parties in contention for control of this planet. It belongs to none of you! It belongs only to itself – and the future. Commander Sinclair. The secrets buried here must stay secret. Control of this by any one race would give it an advantage over all others. Therefore, it is in all best interest of all races that none should gain control. We entrust the safekeeping of this place to the Babylon 5 Advisory Committee in the hope that, in their best interest, they shall prevent any attempt of any one race to take control. If enlightened self interest is not sufficient, know this: The defensive systems of this world are now fully operational. Any attempt to it approach this world will be resisted. Any ship attempting to land will be destroyed. When the time is right, we will be here. Waiting for you. But NOT until then. Goodbye."

The hologram disappeared and the power came back. Ivanova looked at her console and said, "Alien ships attempting to advance! Hyperion is backing away!"

Suddenly, several large space lasers shot out from the planet and cut the alien ships in pieces.

Sinclair said, "I guess that's that."

* * *

Harry watched as Delenn regretfully withdrew from her mentor, begging for assurance that he would be all right. The previous Guardian gave the best assurance he could and Delenn had to satisfy herself with it.

Harry had the three grab on to him and then used his special abilities to return – he hated portkeys and that was his only other choice.

They group appeared in the Commander's office. Garibaldi linked in, "Commander. This is Garibaldi."

"Go."

"We're back. That was freaky."

"Understood."

Harry called out, "Hey! Shouldn't there be a 'we saved the station' party? The Ambassadors are trying to figure out humans and I thought seeing a party will help. I suggest rock and pop music from the late 20th century – makes wonderful dance music. Make sure you get the hokey pokey played! Ambassador Mollari was very interested in seeing it done right." He grinned.

Garibaldi looked at Harry with a gimlet eye. Sinclair's voice came through after a pause, "We'll see what we can do."

Garibaldi asked, "The hokey pokey?"

Harry shrugged. "I tried showing them – but seeing a whole bunch of people doing it is better."

Delenn and Londo looked at each other. What were they being signed up for?

* * *

Harry Potter watched the party, sitting with the DJ. Every once in a while, he would suggest a song and the DJ would find it. The man was amazed at the knowledge Harry had about music from all that time ago and was also surprised that the Babylon 5 computer had so much of it on file – he was normally posted on the Hyperion and had volunteered for the duty.

The crew from the Hyperion were specifically invited and they enjoyed a break from ship life. There was much security to ensure there was no rowdiness.

Delenn and Londo had watched for quite a while – until Harry forced them to start dancing with everyone else. They were clumsy, being unfamiliar with the dance style, but did well enough.

The humans who saw them dance were actually impressed – they had never expected Ambassadors to rock out to human music. It made them more likeable.

Finally Susan, holding a glass of Vodka, found him. "So, Harry. How long before you move on?"

Harry grinned and shrugged. "I don't know. When the universe moves me? Usually I get moved on when everything is fixed. Everything seems fine. So, I don't know."

Susan drank down the rest of her drink and slammed her glass down. "Well, I have an itch – and you're the safest person I know to scratch it. You're going to help me and I'll return the favor. Any problem with that?"

Harry shook his head. Susan smirked and grabbed him by the jacket. She didn't care that many crew members saw her manhandling her prize away from the party. Several even gave cat-calls. Harry just waved to them and followed the Commander – she was, after all, a very attractive woman.


	14. Proper Cooking and Other Major Catastrop

A/N: A plot bunny I've had rolling around in my head since I've started cooking with wine and creating wine reduction sauces ….

* * *

Fanfiction title: Proper Cooking and Other Major Catastrophes

* * *

Scene: Babylon 5 ... Confessions and Lamentations

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Captain John Sheridan felt guilty as he rifled his cupboards. He did, however, have a small feeling of triumph as he found what he had been searching for. He opened the box and took out a portion before returning

Finally, he found what he had been looking for. He set the item down and then retrieved a bottle and set it down. He opened the sleeve and grabbed some of the snack food and stuffed them in his mouth. He chewed thoroughly, feeling the aftertaste clear away bit by bit.

He then grabbed the bottle and drank some. The taste retreated more.

Suddenly, there was a bright light in his quarters which turned into the shape of a man. He didn't call for security, but he was wary. Besides, his people were dealing with the Markab crisis – they didn't have time for something that might not be important on the grand scale of things.

The shape solidified and he saw a young man, looking to be human, glancing around as though trying to figure out his location. The man finally looked at him and said, "Captain Sheridan?"

"You know me?"

The man chuckled. "Other versions of you – different times, different universes. I've helped you out a fair few times."

Intriqued, Sheridan asked, "Who are you?"

The man stood straighter. "Harry Potter, Lone Traveler." He tapped his heels together a mini military type fashion and then relaxed again. Looking curious he asked, "What are you eating?"

"Crackers and soda water." The Captain's face showed his aggrieved look.

"If I may be so curious: Why?"

Captain Sheridan chewed another cracker, swallowed, and then asked, "Have you ever had flarn?"

The man looked confused. "Flarn? Never heard of it."

Sheridan nodded. "It's a Minbari food. There's a whole ritual thing involved with cooking it. Takes days to do properly. It has to be completed properly at every step. Ambassador Delenn served it tonight. Unfortunately, it has the consistency of slightly overcooked okra and the mild bitterness of broccoli without the earthy tones. Even with all the crap going on, I finally broke down and had to clean the taste out of my mouth."

His visitor chuckled. "Minbari are always interesting – their views are so … stratified. It sounds like this flarn could be improved if cooked in wine."

Sheridan sighed. "Two problems: It's cooked by ritual which can't be changed, and Minbari can't consume alcohol – it has extreme effects on their physiology."

The man shrugged. "Just make certain it simmers for at least three hours and the alcohol fully evaporates and leaves just the taste." Suddenly the man got an odd look on his face.

John Sheridan watched in fascination as the man looked up toward the ceiling in irritation. "Cooking advice? Cooking advice? Whoever the hell you are, you have a damned odd sense of humor. All of the power of a God, you send me from Universe to Universe to help out and you send me here to give COOKING ADVICE?"

Sheridan asked. "Is there a problem?"

The man looked at him and said, "Apparently I was dropped here to give you cooking advice. Do with it what you will. Good luck with the flarn." The man turned around and started walking – still muttering under his breath. His form compressed down to a small ball of light and music drifted about. The light disappeared, leaving just the song to fade out.

Although it was a beautiful sound, there was a note of … irritation somehow present.

John Sheridan contemplated what he had just experienced. He ate another cracker and had another sip of tonic water and then stood up and moved to the computer panel to make a call.

Lennier's face appeared on the monitor. "Yes? Captain Sheridan! Is there something I can help you with or do you need to speak to Ambassador Delenn?"

"Actually, I called to speak to you. Do you have some time to come to my quarters and answer a few questions?"

Looking curious, the Minbari attaché replied, "Certainly. I will be there in twenty minutes."

"Thank you. I will see you soon."

Twenty minutes later, the door chimed. "Open!" Sheridan called.

Lennier entered the Captains quarters and gave his traditional Minbari bow. "I'm here. You have questions?"

The Captain nodded his head respectfully and said, "Yes. Please have a seat. Do you want water or juice as refreshment?"

Lennier paused. "It is a ritual to offer refreshment?"

Sheridan nodded thoughtfully. "In a way. It's an Earth custom to offer a drink to an invited guest. Among humans, it's often alcoholic, but that would be inappropriate for you. We try to offer something a guest would enjoy."

Lennier nodded. "Than I shall accept whatever you might give me."

Sheridan nodded. He took two glasses and poured it halfway with soda water. He then filled the rest with reconstituted orange juice and then stirred. He brought these to the table and offered one to Lennier, who accepted it, and then sat down.

Lennier sipped his drink and then considered it. "Mildly acidic, as well as sweet. The texture is quite different. It _is_ refreshing. Thank you."

Sheridan smiled. "It's carbonated water and orange juice. It would be better fresh – but we're a bit far from home to get that. I'm glad you like it."

He sipped his own drink and set it down. "I wanted to ask a few questions about the mean we just had. Is that alright?"

"Certainly."

"Delenn said it was called _flarn_. Is there a reason it is used in ceremonies?"

Lennier sat back and took on his "teacher tone". "It is said that it was created by Valen himself, specifically for the ritual of greeting and welcoming a guest. The instructions for making it as well as its preparation have been handed down for a thousand years."

"I see. So it's never served casually or just to enjoy it?"

"No. Minbari are very traditional and so casually eating it would be … well, it would be definitely a cause for being ordered to reflect upon the wisdom of one's elders. Also," Lennier paused here, "also, flarn has a very _distinctive_ taste. It does not lend itself well to casual dining."

Sheridan nodded. "I can definitely understand that. Are the directions so precise then?"

Lennier nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes. The directions fill a very long scroll which must be learned by heart and followed precisely. It is several thousand lines. In all of the full scroll, only one line causes scholars and historians to spend effort in understanding."

"Oh? What is the line – if it isn't improper to ask?"

Lennier shook his head. "No, it isn't. There is one chant that is spoken right before the ritual contemplation begins. The contemplation is three hours of considering the state of one's soul and its place in the universe."

"What is the chant?" the Captain asked curiously.

Lennier was embarrassed. "It doesn't translate well – mostly because its meaning has been a matter of debate. The line is: VINom ANom essAT porFECHa."

"Vinom anom essat porfecha." The Captain looked thoughtful.

Lennier was annoyed – the captain had altered the proper emphasis on the different words. He hid his annoyance as the captain repeated it a few times.

Suddenly the Captain's face took on a distinctive look of understanding and he moved to his terminal. He spent a few minutes typing and then looked at Lennier.

"Might it's supposed to sound like this: Vinum enim esset perfecta?"

The pronunciation was quite strange – but it did seem to match the line from the scroll. "That could be correct."

The Captains face took on a look of triumph. "Well, Lennier, I think I can answer the debate: I know what it means."

Lennier was surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. The words are from an old Earth Language called Latin from two thousand years ago. It has been used for religious and solemn occasions since that time. It means: Wine would be perfect."

Lennier was confused. "Wine? Isn't that an alcoholic drink?"

Still smiling the Captain replied, "Yes – unless you cook it a certain way. On Earth, there are a number of foods that are poisonous unless properly prepared. With wine, you simmer for three hours. Then the alcohol is evaporated and you are left with the acidity and the taste. Something that I think would be perfect for the flarn."

Lennier thought about it. His youth still allowed him to become excited with different things, and he felt the excitement of something new being found. He mostly suppressed it. "And what wine would be proper?"

At that, Sheridan's face fell. "I don't know." His face changed again, "But I do know who does!" He tapped his link. "Garibaldi!"

The voice of the Head of Security came through the link. "Captain? You need something?"

"Do you have time to see me in my quarters?"

There was a paused. "Is it an emergency? I mean .. I just got off and it's a been a long day …"

"I need you for your expertise."

"In security?"

Sheridan smiled at the watching Minbari, who looked somewhat fascianted. "No. Cooking."

There was another pause and Garibaldi's voice was suddenly far less tired and much more interested. "Yeah, okay. I'll be right there."

Lennier was confused. "Normally when Mr. Garibaldi is tired at the end of a long day, most diplomatic personnel try to avoid him – he can be somewhat confrontational during these circumstances. What convinced him to come now?"

Sheridan laughed. "Passion. Most humans have something they're passionate about. With Garibaldi, the people he came from, usually that's food. Garibaldi loves good food. So talking about cooking isn't a chore for him – it's fun."

Lennier nodded thoughtfully. "I shall have to meditate on that wisdom."

Soon Garibaldi was there and Sheridan asked him, "Michael. You ever cook with wine?"

Garibaldi took on a sheepish smile. "I love it. Haven't done it for a while since I've been on the wagon – but it's definitely something I've missed."

Sheridan waved that off. "Just simmer or bake for three hours – the alcohol disappears."

Garibaldi's face lit up. "That's true. Wonder why I never thought about it."

"Worry about that another time. I needed to ask you: There's a food that has a particular taste." Sheridan described the taste of flarn thoroughly. "Now, what wine would you cook that in to make it better?"

Michael took on the challenge with enthusiasm. "Wow. Let me think." He paced for a moment and said, "Don't want anything too dry or too sweet. Too dry and the acid will burn the taste and too sweet it'll be overpowered. I'd go for semi-dry white or red. Probably white." He paused. "I'd also throw in some extra-virgin olive oil."

Sheridan thought for a moment. "Lennier. When cooking flarn, is there any oil that is used, possibly from a pressed fruit?"

Lennier thought about it. "Yes. SheKOta oil is used toward the end of the making."

"Do the scrolls actually name the oil or is it only described?"

Lennier's face took on a look of interest. "As a matter of fact – it is described and not named. Of all the ingredients, there are two that are referred to and thought to mean particular foods, but are not explicitly named: The pressed oil of a fruit and a pickled root which has a particular bite to its taste."

Michael nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Okay that would mean to me olive oil – probably best to use the purest: Extra virgin. And the root …," he thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers, "ginger! Pickled gingerroot does have that bite to it. Helps cleanse the pallet and it gives a certain spiciness to the dish."

Sheridan nodded and turned to Lennier. "If I can get these items, how long would it take to get the rest of the ingredients together? I'd pay for it."

Lennier considered it. "It could be done in a few weeks. But then it would have to be properly prepared."

Sheridan nodded. "Do you think Delenn would allow me to borrow your services? I could validly claim it's to give proper welcome to the Minbari at Babylon 5 and to make up for the failed dinner because of this current crisis. I'm certain there was a welcome ceremony when Babylon 5 came online, but not one your people would recognize. This, they would recognize. And using Earth ingredients when it doesn't violate your scrolls would make it more a Ceremony of Earth welcoming the Minbari."

Lennier nodded. "It would depend on what is happening but I think it can be done. No harm would come from at least gathering the ingredients."

Sheridan nodded with a smile. "Just tell me the cost and I'll cover it." He turned to Michael. "I'll need your expertise to get the right wine, the olive oil, and the ginger. And when we have the ceremony, we'll have the entire command staff welcoming Delenn, Lennier, and any other Minbari that happens to be around, especially any high ranking ones."

Michael nodded happily. This was right in his line. "No problem. Give me a couple weeks." He then paused. "As long as this Markab crisis gets solved."

Sheridan sighed. "Yeah. This is a mess."

Suddenly, as had happened only an hour before, a light grew out of the middle of the room. Garibaldi reached for his weapon even as Lennier retreated. Sheridan put his hand on Michael's arm and shook his head. Curious, Michael let go of his weapon.

Once again, the same man appeared. "Mr. Potter. Back so soon?"

The visitor looked around. "Soon? When was I last here?"

Sheridan chuckled. "An hour ago – you gave me cooking advice."

His visitor's face took on a look of understanding. "Damn. That was hundreds of visits ago for me." He paused and then asked, "What's the problem now?"

Sheridan sighed. "We have a whole bunch of Markabs coming down with a disease and they are dying left and right."

Harry's eyes grew wide and suddenly he lost all casualness. "You're dealing with a manufactured virus made by a religious nut who wanted to punish Markabs who he thought were 'impure.' You're lucky that this is one incident that I studied quite thoroughly when I visited other universes. If you don't move fast, the entire Markab race will die out in the next few days – every single one of them."

Micheal Garibaldi's eyes grew wide and he said, "Damn!"

Lennier only said, "I will have to inform Delenn."

Sheridan asked, "What do we need to do?"

Harry started pacing around. "First: Tell Franklin what I just told you. Tell him that the Pak'mara are also susceptible. It's the green cells for the Markab and the yellow cells for the Pak'mara. Finding that correlation was what led to the cure – but it was found just a day too late in most universes. It helped to get the green cells in the Markab working and the yellow cells in the Pak'mara. Pretty soon, you're going to have disturbances and people are going to get scared. No other species is really susceptible so you can tell people that it's not dangerous for them. But they can carry it so they should avoid Markab areas so as to avoid killing them. The Markab isolated themselves here – but that only sped up the spread of the disease. With a little time, I can set up the isolation with protections that will prevent the spread of the disease: In my world, our magical hospitals have a protection which prevents diseases from spreading and I know how to make them. I will need 4 large pieces of granite and one small one though. You happen to be able to get me those?"

"Granite?" Harry nodded. "Damn – we're no where near enough to anywhere to get granite. We can't even get it from Epsilon 3 – any ships approaching will be shot down."

Suddenly, in the room, another visual image came into being. "Harry Potter, Lone Traveler, Master of Death and Agent of Gods in many places, your appearance is quite interesting. I am Drall – and I am the one who said that any approach would result in the ship being destroyed."

Sheridan interrupted before Harry could reply. "You look quite different from records I've seen."

The figure laughed. "The Great Machine is regressing my age even as we speak. It is not complete yet – but I already more closely resemble myself from 30 years ago than what I looked like when I joined the machine."

"I see."

Harry interrupted back. "You prevent travel to the planet. Can I get permission to go there to retrieve stones to make protections?"

Drall looked thoughtful for a moment. "I shall allow one trip – you and a pilot only. You shall land on the far side of the planet so that others do not know where you go. No one here may inform anyone of my appearance – do not allow station records of this. Only Delenn and your Commander Ivanova may be told – so as to help avoid others from learning what should not be known."

Garibaldi said, "I'll be the pilot. We can go in twenty minutes as soon as we get on a couple of environmental suits."

Harry waved that off. "You can seal the pilot area and I can protect myself magically. I just need twenty minutes on the surface where there is exposed granite."

Drall nodded. "Lennier. Give Delenn my greetings and my love. She shall see me again at the changing of the tides. Tell no one else of my visit. Captain, quietly inform your second – a formidable woman that one is. And Mr. Garibaldi – take Mr. Potter quickly. You have little extra time." He turned toward Harry. "I allow this because it is a noble endeavor. Do not waste this chance."

Harry nodded. "Thank you." Drall disappeared and Harry turned to Garibaldi. "Let's go."

Garibaldi looked at Sheridan who nodded. "Alright, let's do it."

Harry turned and then paused. "Make certain you give Franklin my message. It's a thousand or a million lives for every little bit of time that is wasted."

Sheridan nodded. Everybody left.

When Harry had completed his protections, Babylon 5 was left with a isolated environment that could be used for future outbreaks of epidemics or pandemics. Delenn and Lennier, who had stayed with the Markab, did see much suffering but many – not most but many – were saved. The little girl that Delenn had comforted lived.

And when she grew up, she was one of the few Markab who became Anla'shok. She always remembered the kind woman who had provided comfort to her in her darkest childhood days.

* * *

 _ISN News, 1 week after outbreak_

 _"Ships carrying relief supplies to the Markab homeworld found devastation unmatched in recorded history. A full sixty percent of the Markab race died in the recent outbreak upon the Markab homeworld._

 _"Only the tireless work of Earthforce Doctor Stephen Franklin of Babylon 5 and the late Doctor Lazarenn of Markab, who died during the recent outbreak, prevented this tragedy from killing the entire race._

 _"The vast majority of those saved were children and women. Due to the destabilization from losing so many, the Provisional Markab government applied for Protecterate Status with the Minbari government and has promised the Earth government a favored-status trade treaty for its role in saving their race. This treaty shall be put in full force once the efforts to clean up after this tragedy is completed and a permanent government replaces the former Theocracy which had previously ruled Markab._

 _Said one Markab, 'Following the old ways nearly led to our race's destruction. Maybe it is time to find new wisdom.'_

* * *

Babylon 5: Between Severed Dreams and Sic Transit Vir

* * *

Delenn and the Minbari Captains who protected Babylon 5 with their ships were invited to the Welcoming Ceremony put on by the Captain. Lennier had not been able to do the preperations himself but had gotten a clan brother to assist the Captain and to teach the Babylon 5 command staff what was necessary.

Lennier had warned the Minbari guests that there would be noticeable differences than what was to be expected, but to save questions until after the ceremony's completion.

After the ritual exchange of food, each person took a piece of flarn and ate it. Each Minbari who tasted it was shocked at the flavor of the flarn and how different it was than was expected. Delenn looked at Lennier in shock but he only smiled, indicating that this was expected.

If any Minbari had been willing, they would have admitted that the taste of the ceremonial food was far, far better than any they had tasted previously. The Minbari Warrior Caste members felt truly welcomed.

When the dinner was over, Delenn's questions were answered. She was shocked when she had learned what had been found and what the Captain had caused to be. Other Religious Caste participants were also told and they meditated long and hard over what it could mean. After Sinclair had returned to the past, Delenn knew that the Captain's suppositions had been correct. Later, no Minbari ever disdained the Welcoming Ceremonies given by Delenn or those that were taught under her aegis: The flarn was simply too good to pass up.

* * *

Babylon 5 Season 5: Objects at Rest

* * *

Londo Mollari, Centauri Emperor looked around. "Do you have nothing alcoholic in this place? Maybe some of your Earth Whiskey? The drinks in this place are truly bland."

Sheridan shook his head. "No, sorry. With the effect of alcohol on the Minbari, I decided to leave all that when I arrived."

Londo felt a stab of disappointment.

When he reached for his glass during dinner, he was shocked to find that his cup contained a fine earth wine. When he looked at Sheridan, the President of the Interstellar Alliance explained, "After our conversation, I remembered that we DID have a stock of wine on hand. I introduced the Minbari to cooking with win three years ago. As long as it's cooked sufficiently the alcohol disappears and it is safe. I decided that we could liberate a few bottles for our Royal guest in respect for his visit to the Interstellar Alliance."

Londo replied, "Thank you, Mr. President. I shall thoroughly enjoy this."

Later, aboard the royal transport, the Drakh said, "You drank too much."

Londo nodded. "I have a history. I originally asked because I knew that they would have no alcohol. That they did – for any reason – is a surprise. But you only missed a few short minutes.

The Drakh gave him leave to drink again and to have an hour's freedom. Londo remembered the recent unexpected moment of drink.

 _When the alcohol overcame the keeper, Londo spoke to the two Sheridans in a quiet voice. The true purpose of the gift to their son, the choke hold that the Drakh had over the Centauri, and his inability to act. He begged them to find a way to help his people before they were destroyed in revenge. The couple had promised to do their best._


	15. A Message (or two) from the Ancestors

Babylon 5: Season 4 Episode 6 Into the Fire

(Follows Further Adventures of the Lone Traveler Chapter 2)

* * *

Fanfiction title: A Message (or two) from the Ancestors

* * *

 _"The Lone Traveler: Young man who tried to change the past and save those he loved… plan failed and became the Lone Traveler, wandering through time and reality, making a difference wherever he went… very powerful… defeated a powerful Dark wizard styling himself a Lord… swept along the path he walked by a spectacular aura of blue light."_

 _'Legends & Myths of the Wizarding World' by Gertrude Yolanda_

 _FF St ID 2673584 – Chap 9 – The Professional Modified FF St ID – Chap 58 - Dunuelos_

* * *

Susan Ivanova listened to Lorien as he explained the history of his race, the first ones, the Vorlons and the shadows. Susan Ivanova was fascinated, even as she was impatient to get into the fight.

Suddenly, however, both Lorien and herself were interrupted. A bright blue light appeared in the room and both were amazed by it. Susan asked, "What the hell is that?"

Lorien's answer actually shocked her. "You know? I don't know. It is the first time I've ever seen such a thing." She looked at Lorien with amazement. Something that the oldest sentient in the universe had never seen was bound to be … different.

* * *

Harry was looking forward to getting back to work.

While visiting the souls of those he had grown up with as well as his own parents had been a healing experience, there was a difference between himself and those he left behind: He was alive while they were not.

While they had a semblance of life that they experienced, they had no true sorrow or barriers, nothing to really challenge them. They had … finished becoming and so there was no real change. While they could exist with such a circumstance, he knew that he had far to go before he was ready for the end.

And so, while he had experienced joy at the meeting, there was also a bit of melancholy which he felt he had hid quite well.

There was nothing to hide, however, about the fact he was happy to get back to his new purpose.

So, it was with joy and contentment that he observed where he had landed. He shouldn't have been surprised at one of the people facing him. "Hello, Susan Ivanova." He looked to the other person and then remembered having seen a record of him. "Hello, Lorien."

The two looked at each other and Susan asked, "Do we know you?"

Harry chuckled. "Not really. I've met a few alternates – I'm a dimensional traveler. And actually, this is the first time I've ever met the" he held his fingers in quote shapes, "oldest dude in the universe." His irreverence caused Susan's mouth to twitch even as Lorien was taken aback. "What is the date anyway?"

Susan rattled it off without much thought.

Harry's eyes opened as he considered that. "That means you're on your way to the Corianna System. I think I probably should walk with you because if I remember right, you don't have much time to waste."

Susan looked over to Lorien, who shrugged a bit. She nodded. "Fine. But you're going to be telling me what the hell this is all about."

Harry shrugged. "No problem."

* * *

Susan had finally received to order and she was hightailing it to the rendezvous point to meet up with the rest of the fleet. They were four hours out and Susan finally had time to decode the odd visitor that had showed up in her quarters.

The man, Harry, was standing near the front of the bridge looking out the window. She glanced over to Lorien, who was also watching the man with curiosity, and moved off of the command chair.

"Okay. So who are you?"

Harry turned and looked back to see Susan and Lorien watching him. The Minbari were also surreptitiously observing the off human who had come on board.

"Well, as I said, I'm Harry Potter. Do you mind if I make us a little more comfortable?"

Susan was wondering what the hell he was talking about but nodded gamely.

Harry turned in profile and pulled a stick out of his sleeve. Waving it around, the entire audience was shocked to see three comfortable chairs appear around a small table. Another wave and a clear carafe appeared on the table with three glasses. With another movement, the carafe was filled with what appeared to be water.

Putting away his wand he turned and said, "Come have a seat."

Susan and Lorien moved to the chairs and Susan tentatively put her hand on one to test it and found that, yes, it was real. She sat down, as did Lorien.

"Don't worry. What I just did was what in my home universe is called magic. While that seems ludicrous to you, Lorien probably sees it as something he has seen before but rarely."

Lorien nodded. "There have been races which have been able to perform acts on a quantum level. They are few and far in between."

Harry nodded. "By the way, I should warn you, because of a piece of technology, everything I say can be heard by everyone present in their own tongue. You'll note the Minbari listening, even as they continue to do their jobs. It's called a Universal Translator." Harry turned and addressed the Minbari in Adronato, "I do not mind if you listen to my words. Please do not feel uncomfortable in listening in."

The Minbari looked at each other and then several of them nodded in acknowledgement.

Susan was impressed. By watching carefully she had seen that what was said did not match his lips but the words came out as English. It was fascinating.

Harry turned back. "Anyway, in my home universe, I was put up against a user of Dark magic from a very young age. Things that in most universes are considered legend or myth had real substance where I come from and that includes things such as prophecy. I was considered a child of Prophecy."

The greatest reaction in those listening actually came from the Minbari – they still had great reverence for prophecy.

As Harry explained his history over the next thirty minutes, his audience was fascinated. The idea of moving from one iteration of the universe to another was beyond the experience of those listening but most listened with an open mind.

The most skeptical was of course Susan herself.

Finally he looked at her. "You know. I could, using mind magic, show you some of my visits with different versions of yourself."

Susan looked at him with suspicion. "What? Are you a telepath?"

Harry snored. "Please. I am to a telepath what a telepath is to a normal person. Most telepaths can only brute force their way into a mind. I had to train myself in not listening in to even the most guarded minds. But I never use it maliciously and I refuse to 'encourage' thoughts and beliefs with it."

Susan looked suspicious still. Harry rolled his eyes. He turned to the listening Minbari and said, "I need an oath from you all. I am going to speak of private things having to do with Susan here and I need your solemn word that you will speak of what you hear to no one without her permission under any circumstance. Do you agree?"

The listening Religious Caste members looked to each other and finally back to the group. Each nodded in agreement. One female stood forward and said, "You have our solemn word that none shall learn of what is said without Susan Ivanova's permission."

He turned back to Susan and said, "She gave a vow on behalf of everyone that they'll keep the next bit to themselves. And Lorien, I am certain, will have no problem keeping it to himself either – he knows how to keep secrets."

Susan said, "What are you talking about?"

Harry sighed. "I know about your mum. And I know you have very, very basic abilities as a telepath. I promise that what I do will in no way violate your mind."

Susan looked around frantically and saw that the Minbari were watching calmly and had no reaction to what was said. Harry laughed. "Don't worry about them. Minbari consider telepathic ability sacred. They'll say nothing."

She looked and saw that the Minbari were nodding in agreement. They would keep this to themselves.

Susan looked back. "Fine. Show me what you're talking about."

Harry was about to do just that when he had an idea. "Wait! I know. Let me try something else first."

Harry pulled his version of the Deathstick out for this – his Holly wand would not suit as it didn't have the power. Carefully pulling an image into his mind, he performed a very difficult conjuration.

Those watching were surprised to see a stone bowl appear on the small table that had been created earlier, in between the other items on the table. Harry grinned. "I've never tried to conjure one of these before. Let me see if it works."

Harry put his wand to his head and pulled out a memory he had from when he first attended Hogwarts.

Putting this in the bowl, Harry tapped his wand to it and above the bowl a scene of Harry's first entrance to the Great Hall was shown. The watchers were fascinated. Harry laughed. "It worked. IN my world, this is a device to show memories. In different universes, they don't have the ability to show a scene unless you physically touch it, but I conjured a version from those universes where they can show an image above it."

Harry retrieved his memory and then carefully put a few memories in. Susan, Lorien, and the Minbari were surprised to see different memories show up involving Susan Ivanova and circumstances that she had lived through slightly differently.

Susan was amazed and a bit overwhelmed. "Why do you seem to meet up with different versions of myself so much?"

Harry considered that. "Do you know what a nexus is?"

Susan considered that. "A nexus is a meeting point of two or more roads."

Harry nodded. "That's one definition. Here's another: A nexus is a person or place whose very existence causes convergence of those that come into contact. Babylon 5, for example, is a nexus point. The fact that it exists has changed the tide of politics and races that have come into contact with it. A more nebulous and, in contradiction, more solid use of the word is in regards a person. A nexus is a person who causes the world around them to change."

Harry sighed. "I happen to be a nexus – in almost every universe where exists a version of me my presence changes the world in some way or another. For the most part, I think the various me's try to increase the good but I've run into one or two that were a negative influence." Harry looked at Susan. "It isn't pleasant having to kill of a version of yourself, let me tell you."

Susan, Lorien, and the Minbari were taken aback by such an idea.

"Yeah. Well anyway, I'm certain if you think about it, you can name a nexus or two. Many people exist within the universe subject to the tides and eddies of life as it happens. But who do you know who causes those around them to act in ways that they otherwise could never have imagined."

Susan didn't have to think about it. "John. Delenn. Jeffrey."

Harry nodded. "Exactly. These people are very much what I am referring to. A person like John Sheridan, he never asked to be the center of this whole struggle. It just so happens that he can't find it in himself to do nothing and to let the world fall apart. So he exerts his free will and the universe changes. Delenn is also very much a nexus. It just so happens that you're a nexus too."

Susan was taken aback and immediately denied it. "Get out of here! I'm just a soldier doing her job. I leave the world changing up to those better suited."

Harry smiled and shook his head even as Lorien did the same. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Susan. But that's a load of crap and you know it. Can you imagine any other person who could cause a whole people to include them in their pantheon of gods an goddesses just by their actions and how they affected them?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Next time you run into an average Drazi, watch carefully how he or she reacts around you. I think you'll be amazed at how willing they are to follow the suggestions you make." Harry had a wide grin on him as he said this.

Susan just put that out of her mind because she had no desire to consider such a thing. "Whatever. So … I'm one of these nexuses? Or Nexii? Or however you say it?"

Harry nodded. "You move and the world moves with you. It's the nature of things. It's a great responsibility so use it well." He paused. "I do think I should show you one thing – it might give you a bit of comfort."

Susan looked at Harry, curious, and said, "Fine. What do you have to show me?"

Harry carefully removed the memory that he was thinking of. Susan watched with her full attention as Harry tapped the pensieve on the right rune.

Harry had been careful not to include things which had no bearing on current circumstances. Had no desire to rehash the dalliance he had in that one world.

 _"Fred finally nodded and said, "Her biggest win was that Susan Ivanova."_

 _"Really?" Harry asked. He then looked over to Minerva._

 _She grinned and said, "I seem to remember in one world you told her she reminded you of me. In that world, without magic, her great-great grandfather was an Ambassador from Russia to England who took up with a certain Scottish lass from the Clan McGonagall." She took another sip from her drink and said, "I have to say it didn't surprise me. I remember how attractive those boys from Durmstrung were when they visited. I could imagine myself taking up with a strong cossack lad."_

 _Harry looked gobsmacked. "She's your granddaughter!"_

 _"Add a few greats and you're spot on, Harry." Minerva grinned at her former student._

Harry watched with amusement as Susan reacted in shock at learning that.

 _Fred and Harry looked at each other with amazement. Fred shook his head. "We should have excluded those with insider knowledge from betting."_

 _"Not me' fault, laddie. Now, go get me another whisky." She pushed her glass over to Fred who chuckled and did as asked._

 _Harry smiled and said, "Well, your granddaughter is an impressive woman. The versions I've met are all quite strong and very intelligent. I can't say that I'm surprised that you're related."_

 _Minerva smiled as she looked off in thought. "I remember when Hermione told me about the connection she found at her job as researcher." She looked back to Harry with a smile. "I started to pay more attention to those worlds where y' visit the great station. An' I' been universally proud o' the lass whenever she comes to your attention."_

Harry smiled as Susan let a few tears drop at the idea of one of her ancestors expressing such blanket approval of what she was and what she had done.

 _Harry nodded. "She's a woman who does a stressful job well, whenever I seem to run into her. Keeping her alive and happy in the worlds I visit seems to be important. I admit – I have a soft spot for her."_

 _Minerva accepted the new cup of whisky from Fred and said, "A toast to m' great-great-granddaughter Susan Ivanova. May she find joy where she can and purpose in what she does."_

 _Harry nodded in agreement and clicked his glass to hers and then drank the toast._

Harry tapped the bowl. Susan sat back in amazement, her eyes fixed on the place where the memory had just been shown.

One of the watching Minbari, the one who had spoken earlier, got Harry's attention. "Honored Traveler?"

Harry looked over. "Yes?"

"Can you, perhaps, translate what was said. Unlike your voice, it was not understandable to those of us watching." The woman was very respectful.

He glanced over to Susan. "Susan? Do you mind if the Minbari hear a translation of what they just saw?"

Susan was taken out of her reverie and glanced over, seeing the Minbari waiting patiently for an answer. And although she was hesitant, she really wanted to see it again. She nodded.

Harry activated the memory and quietly moved nearer to the Minbari. He kept up a running translation as the memory progressed. The Minbari were awed when they realized that this was the soul of an ancestor speaking from beyond the sea of death. (The Minbari called dying 'Traveling to the Sea'.)

Harry carefully returned his memory and asked the two to stand up. He quickly vanished the chairs, table, and pensieve. He turned to Susan. "Well, the universe pulls on me. I guess my visit was to pass on your grandmother Minerva's – Minnie's – good wishes. I should tell you that in life, she was much older and she was one of the professors who I respected the most. She was pretty much the ultimate authority in the school as the Headmaster was often distracted away from the castle."

Susan nodded as she allowed that to settle into her mind. She was still a bit overwhelmed by the approval from beyond the veil.

Harry looked at her. "Anyway, just be yourself. I would say to be the best version of yourself you can be, but I somehow don't think you need the advice." Harry nodded respectfully to Lorien and turned and started walking toward the front of the ship.

Those on the bridge watched as the man condensed down to a small ball of light, the sound of music drifting around the bridge, it's town joyful and serene.

Susan looked around. "Okay. Did anyone else find that as weird as I did?" She paused and then added, "And what the hell was she betting about anyway?"

Lorien just looked back at her with wide eyes, refusing to comment.

* * *

The months passed and the tides of Susan's life passed as they did in may worlds. There was one exception: Whenever it was required that she take command of a Whitestar to perform any action that ordered by the B5 Commander John Sheridan, one particular Whitestar crew demanded (very respectfully) to be the one put at her disposal.

The crew had great reverence for the Second in Command of Babylon 5. Marcus had been curious but the Minbari in question were remarkably tight lipped about it, even for Minbari. Susan, however, seemed to understand and allowed them their preference. Delenn was at a loss to explain their loyalty to a non-Minbari but understood that it their reasons were personal, even as they were resolute in them.

That particular crew worked very diligently to learn the language of its Captain, Commander Susan Ivanova. When they were not on a mission, they volunteered to augment B5's command and control crew, as long as Susan Ivanova was on watch.

The Minbari crew also caused a bit of a scene amongst the other Rangers and Minbari when they insisted on calling their Whitestar the _Minerva_. Delenn, after some research, assumed that they were giving reverence to the old Earth Goddess of Wisdom, Art, and Strategy. She thought it a fine name.

Susan, who knew better, was touched by the gesture.

Over time, she started loving the crew of her Whitestar as much as she loved the crew of Babylon 5. Woe befell anyone who disrespected a member of either of her crews within her hearing in the form a very ticked off Commander Ivanova.

When she finally had to take John's place at the head of the fleet in the campaign to retake Earth, instead of standing back and just doing as they were told, Marcus was surprised to find that he had allies within the crew of the Minerva in bullying Susan into taking care of herself and ensuring she ate regularly and had some rest. She really wanted to bitch about it but knew that they acted the way they did out of loyalty and respect.

The third-in-command (behind Marcus who was the acting XO) was quite smug (for a Minbari) about her ability to ensure Susan took care of herself.

And so, when she finally faced Clark's shadow-modified Omega's, she was in – perhaps – better mental shape than she would otherwise have been.

In the end when she was forced to go all out to ensure the last Omega was destroyed before it could flee and warn other elements of Earthforce, the most amazing thing happened.

As Susan stared out of the front windows to try to see through the debris to see if her attack run had been successful, a voice called out in desperation out of no where. "DAMN IT, LASSIE! GET YOUR ASS MOVING! STRAIGHT UP! GET YER DAMN ARSE OOT O' THE WAY!"

Susan was shocked to recognize the voice of her Great-Grandmother speaking from wherever she was beyond the veil. She looked back and saw that her Minbari crew recognized the voice as well. She called out, "DO IT!"

Marcus was confused as hell.

* * *

Minerva, who was watching the feed from her place in what many would call Heaven, was shocked to see that this version of her Great-Great-however many Greats-Grandaughter actually seemed to react to what she had yelled. (She had seen far too many versions where the lass had been mortally wounded and had only been saved by the bonnie lad who pined after her. She was very tired of watching that happen over and over again.)

Her face took on a large amount of glee as she watched her granddaughter actually survive, trying to explain to her laddie exactly who had spoken to her. She decided to try one more time and yelled out another sentence. The reaction was priceless.

* * *

Marcus caught hold of his console as the Minerva veered straight up and away. He read his instruments as this happened and suddenly cried out. "In Valen's Name! We missed being smashed by remains of Whitestar 18 by less than a meter!"

Susan looked out of the window and back to Marcus, her mind running a mile a minute. "Damn. That was close."

Marcus looked at Susan with wild eyes and asked, "Who the hell's voice was that?" He looked around to see the Minbari crew watching without reaction, as though otherworldly voices were a matter of course.

She sighed as she looked at her third-in-command who, after a moment's consideration, nodded at her to answer the question. She tried another tack. "I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

Annoyed, Marcus said, "Just try me."

Susan gave a small smile and said, "That would be my Great-Great-Grandmother Minerva speaking from beyond the veil of death."

Marcus looked around and saw that none of the crew seemed surprised at that revelation – _at all_. Before he could comment, the voice came back.

"WELL DONE, LASSIE! Y' SQUEAKED BY B' THE HAIR O' THE UNICORN! NOW TAKE THAT BONNIE LAD TO YER BED AND SHOW HIM WHAT A REAL WOMAN IS!" And there was some cackling before it died out.

Susan blushed thoroughly and looked up. She could only cry out in protest, "GRANDMA!"

* * *

Delenn looked at the newly returned John Sheridan in shock. He had been horribly wounded by his capture by Earthforce and to see him now was a true joy. The met in the corridor and fell into each other's arms.

After a long minute, they were interrupted by the sound of approaching feet. John Sheridan smiled in true joy to see his Second Susan Ivanova, smiling at him as she approached. The big surprise was that she was holding the hand of Marcus Cole. He looked at the two curiously.

Delenn, who had known Marcus for a long time and had known his sorrow, gasped as she observed the happy two. "You've followed the calling of your hearts! This is a joyous occasion."

Susan blushed and said, "Yes. We've decided to get married, just as soon as the campaign to take back Earth is over." Delenn quickly embraced Marcus and then Susan as Sheridan congratulated the couple.

Delenn did notice one thing: Marcus looked a bit aggrieved. "Marcus? What is it?"

Marcus sighed. "While I am absolutely in love with Susan and am overjoyed with her saying yes to my proposal, I now have to contend with the crew of the Minerva who, in the most polite Minbari language and comportment possible, have taken to threatening me with horrible, horrible things if I do anything that might upset Susan whatsoever. It's like having a fiancé with twenty brothers and sisters to try to keep me in line."

John looked at the two and laughed. Delenn was shocked.

Susan only gave a small smile and said, "What can I say? My crew loves me."


	16. A Different Higher Being

A Different Higher Being

World: Babylon 5

Period: Season 2, Episode 22

 _"The Lone Traveler: Originally a Mortal Human Wizard and dimensional traveler, this being ascended to Godhood as a reward for services to the Creator. Very often arrives and leaves using a spectacular aura of blue light. His Divine name is Marek Ilumian, Fury of the Light, a Minor God of Knowledge and Travel and Patron God of Free Will. His appearance normally associated with preventing apocalypses or helping to ensure Free Will can be exercised by mortals. All assistance should be rendered when he appears. Does have a mischievous streak, especially when accompanied by a Goddess from another dimension who appears as a small innocent girl."_

 _Rupert Giles Watcher's Diaries, 27 September, 2000_

The Humans and aliens were gathered together waiting for Captain John Sheridan. The Humans from the station looked glum while the visiting Humans looked smug.

Londo Mollari was standing there waiting to humble the man who had destroyed a Centauri warship.

Suddenly, the group heard an explosion and looked up. They all gasped as they saw a figure falling. Many recognized the man that they were waiting for.

As Ivanova began ordering a team out with jetpacks, and Delenn was imploring Kosh to act, something entirely unexpected happened.

In the midst of them a light appeared and formed into a human shape. The figure looked around and saw the watching aliens.

"Hello."

Ivanova looked at the arrival and pointed up. "Can you help him?"

The man looked up and sighed. "I'll be right back."

Suddenly, the man changed into a large bird – a raptor of some type. The bird immediately flew up and approached the man who was moving toward the ground. It hovered nearby and cried out. The sound was unutterably beautiful. The bird turned away from the man and hovered. The bird cried out again. The man reached out and grabbed the bird by the claw.

With that, the bird started moving quickly toward the ground. Before it reached the ground, the bird smoothly moved so that the man hung down. It slowly dropped until the man was safely on the ground and let go.

The bird cried out once more and quickly flashed into fire and disappeared.

Delenn ran up to him and said, "Captain! You're alright!"

Captain Sheridan gave a fond look to the beautiful ambassador and said, "Yes. I'm fine. I'm fine."

Ivanova asked with some small hysteria, "What was that?"

Before anyone could respond the bird flashed back into the garden, a terrified Centauri in its claws. Sheridan cried out, "That's the one who left the bomb!"

The bird cried out in song and the aliens were transfixed. The Centauri reacted oddly – he cried out as though in pain. Ambassador Mollari just stood there in shock.

The bird then turned back into the figure that first appeared.

"Who are you?" Sheridan asked.

The man smiled and said. "Don't you know me?"

With a wave of his hand he changed into a figure which looked Narn, white wings upon his back. Another wave, he looked like a Drazi. After a whole slew of changes, the man returned.

"Miracles are few and far between. You are needed. Accept it as a gift." The man turned and started walking. The figure compressed down into a ball of light and disappeared, song very like what they had already heard wafted around the Garden.

Kosh watched all of this in astonishment. Whatever else the visitor had, he had charisma and style.


	17. Time Capsules

Time Capsule

World: Babylon 5

 _"The Lone Traveler: Originally a Mortal Human Wizard and dimensional traveler, this being ascended to Godhood as a reward for services to the Creator. Very often arrives and leaves using a spectacular aura of blue light. His Divine name is Marek Ilumian, Fury of the Light, a Minor God of Knowledge and Travel and Patron God of Free Will. His appearance normally associated with preventing apocalypses or helping to ensure Free Will can be exercised by mortals. All assistance should be rendered when he appears. Does have a mischievous streak, especially when accompanied by a Goddess from another dimension who appears as a small innocent girl."_

 _Rupert Giles Watcher's Diaries, 27 September, 2000_

The gathered people were terrified as they met in secret.

The people they were meeting with was considered wise and holy – a great leader who truly understood the nature of his people and of life in general. There was word that he was even writing a book which would chronicle his path toward enlightenment.

"Great Teacher! What can we do? The invaders are killing us. And not only are they killing us, they kill our families. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children … even our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It is as if they are trying to wipe out all of our kind."

The wise teacher felt great sorrow. These were a valued part of their people. They assisted in finding the truth and ensuring that the leaders were just.

And the invaders seemed to be trying to kill them all.

"The rest of us are doing all we can to protect you and your families. The invaders are strong – too strong. I wish we knew why they targeted you so."

Once of those of the families being targeted said, "There is one thing. When one came near to a group of us, we attacked. And the invaders reacted very strangely."

The witness described in detail the incident and the wise teacher had a moment of revelation. "Of course. Of course! THAT is why they are so murderous." And the teacher explained what he had deduced.

Those gathered considered it and agreed that it was likely. "But what do we do now?"

Suddenly a light shone within the cavern where they met. And the watching people were awed.

Out of the light grew a figure. It was shaped much as they were – but its coloring was strange. Its eyes were a color never seen on one of the people.

The teacher asked the figure, "Who are you?"

The figure bowed. "I am Harry Potter – a Traveler." The man looked around. "What am I interrupting?"

And the teacher explained. The eyes of the visitor widened. "I have heard of this. This, where I am from, is history. Let me tell you what I know." And the visitor explained what he knew.

The tragedy he described caused grief for many – and hardened the hearts of many. The teacher said, "Then if that is true, I will call all who will come to help attack."

The visitor sighed. "I don't like the idea of what was told to me taking place." After a pause the figure said, "Would you be willing to help me prevent this tragedy?"

The visitor explained his plan and the people were astounded. The teacher asked, "Can you do this?"

With a grim smile, the visitor said, "I can try. I will be right back."

The figure disappeared into light once more and the waiting people watched, hopeful that the plan would work. It would take sacrifice and it would take pain, and it would take work, but it was the best plan – if the visitor could pull it off.

Soon, however, the hope was fulfilled when the visitor returned with the tools he described.

"First, this is what we need to do …."

For days the people worked, fulfilling the instructions that they were given. The visitor had placed a sort of shield around where they worked, to hide their activities from the invaders.

The work was back-breaking and hard and many suffered, but in the end – it was done. The visitor stood before the teacher.

The people saw him wave his stick and suddenly he looked like an aged member of their community. He looked like one of them.

"Everyone! To their places!"

The people moved and soon all were away save the teacher and the visitor.

"You know what I must do and why."

The teacher nodded. "It will cause great grief, but I see how it is necessary."

"I will work my magic – and then you and I will help rid your world of the invaders. Though it will create problems in years to come, this is the way it must be."

The teacher sighed sadly. "Do your magics."

When the teacher regained consciousness, he was confronted by an aged one from those who had been killed. The old one was enraged. He exhorted the teacher to assist him in driving the invaders out.

And, knowing it was just, the teacher agreed. For days and weeks did the two move from place to place where the invaders had taken up residence. And the old one used all of his power to help drive away the invaders.

And finally, when the last of the invaders left, the old one died. The teacher left to get others to help honor the last of the community that had been destroyed, as was the old one's dying wish. He did not see the rise of the old one, nor the way the old one changed.

The visitor used his magic to create a likeness and, with a great sigh for the grief he was certain was felt by the teacher, he then traveled ….

* * *

G'Kar of Narn felt great grief for the loss of Lyta. His travel companion had died helping to destroy the last vestiges of the Psi Corps. The Telepath war, as it was being called, had been short but bloody. At least the Humans were trying to create a better system, one which integrated the telepaths back into society.

He would watch and see if they were successful.

It was unfortunate, but with her loss he felt no more desire to travel. He was leery, however, of returning to Narn. He had heard reports that the furor had died down, but he was still almost worshipped by some Narn.

Perhpaps he could once again with the Alliance. John and Delenn would welcome him.

As he was made the decision, his comm system lit up. He was curious – very few had the code to contact him directly. "Comm system, Receive."

The panel lit up and he was delighted to see the one who had called him. "G'Kar."

"Mr. President."

The man scowled. "I thought we were past the formal names."

G'Kar chuckled. "Fine, then. John."

"Thank you. Anyway, how are you?"

"Strange that you should ask. I find exploring without … my former companion is not as rewarding as it used to be."

G'Kar saw the shared grief that he felt. "I understand. And while she and I didn't get along toward the end and I considered her a danger, she was at one point a comrade. It was a tragedy." Sheridan sighed. "At least she accomplished what she always wanted."

G'Kar nodded. "I hope, wherever her soul might be, that provides comfort."

"Me too." Sheridan paused. "I'm calling you because I have a request to make – and it's kind of important."

"Oh?"

"I really need you to come to Tuzinor. We need to speak of a matter which might be of extreme importance to you."

G'Kar smiled. "Considering I was about to set course for there, it is not an inconvenience."

Sheridan smiled in relief. "That's good. I'd really like to see you here as soon as possible. How long before you can get here?"

"I can be there in … ten days. I am somewhat on the edge of what's known."

"Would you like me to send the closest ship to get you?"

"No. I'll make my way there. Expect me when you see me."

Sheridan smiled. "That line is straight out of an old Earth story. It was said by an old wizard to those who looked up to him. Should I start considering you an aged wise Narn?"

G'Kar rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up!"

Sheridan laughed. "I'll see you soon. Sheridan out."

The panel went dark.

"That man can be the most annoying creature in existence," G'Kar mused.

* * *

G'Kar made his way to the headquarters of the ISA. His identification was more than sufficient to see him through any obstacles.

And finally, he was being shown in to the President's office. Sheridan was standing up just as he walked in the door. "G'Kar!" the man said loudly with a smile.

"Hello, John." The two had greeted each other with the salute that G'Kar had always used to express greetings with respect: Arms in fists, held to the body, with a respectful bow of the head. Sheridan even managed to make it look almost natural. Sheridan then embraced him the way some human males embraced their comrades.

"You called for me and so I came. As you Human's say: What's up?" G'Kar had a small smile as he asked the question.

"We had a visitor arrive who pretty much demanded that we contact you. I was going to refuse, but when he explained why, Delenn and I agreed that it was a good idea." Sheridan was smiling in a way that indicated that it wasn't bad news. But he also had that grin which meant he wasn't going to fully explain.

"Who was it?" G'Kar asked.

"Oh. A friend. Not someone you know. But, I'm pretty sure you'll be happy to call him the same when you speak."

"Is it another Narn?" G'Kar asked with some trepidation.

Sheridan laughed. "You're the only person I know in the universe who is more worried about speaking to one of his own people than people from other races."

With some asperity G'Kar answered, "I should hope you'll understand why."

"Oh, I know. It's still funny. But anyway, no. He looks more human than anything."

"Looks … more human?"

John paused. "I don't rightly know if you could consider him human. But he looks and acts like one." Sheridan still had that smile.

"And why should I want to meet him?" G'Kar asked with a small amount of suspicion.

Sheridan grinned. "You'll have to find out when he gets here. First, let me call Delenn. She wanted to be here when he came."

G'Kar waited with some patience, but John Sheridan's mischievous look was not making him relaxed. That Delenn also looked slightly mischievous made him even more nervous.

"Okay. Let me call him." Sheridan went to a comm. panel and put in a code.

"Potter here."

"Hello, this is the President. Where are you?" G'Kar was curious.

"Oh, I've been sitting in on a few lessons at a temple. I'm a couple hundred miles away."

G'Kar was a bit annoyed. If the man wanted to see him so much, he should have been there.

"I see. Well, the visitor has arrived. How long before you can get to my office?"

"Well, I'm going to clean up. And then I'll be there in … 10 minutes?"

"I'll see you then. Sheridan out." Sheridan looked at G'Kar – who looked shocked.

"How will he be here in ten minutes if he's 200 miles away? Does he have a flyer which will travel at the speed of a starship?"

Sheridan chuckled. "You'll see."

Not wanting to get annoyed with Sheridan's amusement, he talked to Delenn to catch up on what was happening.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud pop. G'kar looked over and saw that there was a Human in the room. He stood up in surprise. The man spoke. "Hello, G'Kar of Narn. I'm glad you could make it."

"Hello. And who might you be?"

"Harry Potter, Traveler."

"And how did you appear in the room?" he asked suspiciously.

The man grinned. "Magic."

G'Kar narrowed his eyes. "That's not funny."

The man laughed. "But it's true! Watch!"

The man took out a stick and pointed it at a chair. Suddenly the chair turned into a creature. G'Kar gasped. "What is that?"

The man gave the name.

"How can that be? I have heard of these. It is a creature from my world which went extinct a hundred years ago … the Centauri invaders hunted them until they were no more!"

The man changed the animal back to a chair. "And that's why I am here. Please sit down and I will explain."

G'Kar sat down.

"You are a follower of G'Quan. Correct?"

G'Kar nodded. "Yes. Ever since I was almost a pouchling."

The man nodded. "And you've read the book of G'Quan."

"Extensively."

"And you read what happened a thousand years ago? About the invaders and the genocide against the mindwalkers?"

G'Kar nodded in sorrow.

"And do you know the name of G'Duth?"

G'Kar nodded again. "Yes," he said quietly.

Delenn asked gently, "Who was G'Duth?"

G'Kar turned to Delenn. "When the Shadows had killed almost all the Mindwalkers, G'Duth was the last of them. He was so enraged that he went with G'Quan and the both of them worked together to drive the Shadows off of Narn. G'Duth then died and was buries. His grave was a place of reverence for centuries."

Harry sighed. "Well, all of that is correct – except it isn't."

G'Kar looked at the man sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I'm a dimensional traveler. I've visited many universes during the time of the Shadow War where Sheridan and Delenn led the races to band together to drive the Shadows and Vorlons away. I heard the story of the Narn and saw Garibaldi's revelation from the book of G'Quan which led to the discovery of the ability of telepaths to disrupt the Shadow vessels. It always seemed like a waste to me."

G'Kar nodded. "It is still a matter of grief for our people."

"Well, recently I arrived during the time when the Shadows took residence on Narn and were hunting the Mindwalkers. I took steps."

Sheridan asked, "What steps did you take?"

Harry waved his hand and suddenly he looked like an old Narn. "I was G'Duth."

G'Kar looked at the man in shock. "How?"

The man waved his hand and returned to his normal self. "Magic. I arrived during the genocide and, knowing the history, I knew that I had to do something, but that it had to be something that would not disrupt history. And so I gathered some tools and applied my arts."

G'Kar asked, "What did you do?" Harry stood up and pulled out a few items from his pocket and placed them on the desk. G'kar looked at these. "What are they? They look like … luggage. But small."

Harry smirked. "These are four trunks that have been reduced in size. Using magic, these trunks contain much more on the inside than science would consider possible. Within these trunks are four things.

He pointed to the first. It was a dark blue. "This one is in statis – within the trunk it is as if time stand still. It contains one cubic mile of sea water with all of the life – plant, animal, bacteria, and all – which one square mile of water can contain. It also includes much plankton and algae native to Narn."

He pointed to the next, a light blue. "This is the same. It contains once square mile of fresh water from a lake. It contains all of the plants and animals and bacteria and crustaceans that a cubic mile of fresh water can contain."

He pointed to a third. It was green. "This one is also in stasis. It contains four square miles, four feet deep, of trees and plants and animals and insects and other critters, ground and air based, that lived upon Narn within a forest a thousand years ago. It contains enough of each that, as long as they are not hunted until their populations rebuild, they should be able to survive. Although careful conservation might be required."

He pointed to the last. It was brown – the same tone as a Narn's skin. "This one, however, is not in stasis. Sentients can't stay in stasis so easily. This contains the same square mileage as the other trunk – but it contains four square miles of farmland with crops and domesticated animals and things that were grown on Narn. It also has a store of seeds and nuts which can grow more crops. Also contained within that trunk are 800 Narn – Male, Female, Pouchlings. All are Mindwalkers or their families. For them it has been about two weeks. They will expect to be coming out within another two weeks."

He looked at G'Kar who stared at the four small items in complete shock. "How?"

"When I arrived, I explained what History spoke of. I also explained about the two times that Narn had been occupied and the damage to the environment. And I proposed this. I took the memory from G'Quan so it could not be ripped from his mind by Shadows and then acted as if I was the last of the Mindwalkers and grief stricken. It was very effective."

G'Kar looked at the visitor. "What now?"

The man shrugged. "Now we take a ship – a White Star I hope as no one would impede one, and we go to Narn and replace these onto Narn. Your people will have to husband what we place to ensure the plants, trees, and animals reproduce and spread out. It may take years, but Narn can be reseeded."

Sheridan said, "I am willing to provide a White Star." He paused. "What do we say publicly?"

Harry chuckled. "Not my Department. I say we do it secretly and then come out with a story that Narn has figured out how to bring back telepaths. You'll have to teach them modern life and modern information but after a few years they will be a part of the larger Narn society." He turned to G'Kar. "But their rules on telepaths and how they work within the larger society will have to be respected."

G'Kar nodded, still shocked. "I am willing to help get it started."

Harry chuckled again. "And then you will skedaddle back here because I am certain you don't want your fame to get worse."

G'Kar nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

It took almost twice as long to removed everything from the trunks than it had taken to place it.

Harry cancelled the shrinking charm on the sea water trunk. It had taken quite a bit of work to hollow out an area large enough to hold it close enough to the sea where a channel could easily be opened to merge the newly returned seawater with the existing ocean so that the life within it could move out of the unnatural concentration that Harry had created but it was done.

A short time after, the large basin near a flowing river was also ready to receive the fresh water. Once it was done, the river was diverted so that it would refill the lake and the water would then move on back to the path it had always taken.

The Narn were quite upset that Harry insisted on then destroying them and so Harry removed all magic from them – they could keep them as keepsakes but no more.

The large trunk containing forest was moved out by an army of Narn with modern equip. It was spread over a hundred square mile of a reserve that was newly designated for it. The area had lost much because of the Centauri and it was easy to move the very few Narn that already lived there. The trees were no longer so close together and the animals were not so constricted as they would have been if they had tried to stay within the four square miles that the trunk had.

Much magic was used by Harry in addition to the trucks that drove in and out of the trunk that had been expanded to a very large size.

The trunks with the telepaths and farmland were much easier – four square miles of farm fit into four square miles of land near the place where the new lake would be placed. The Narn also gathered quite a few prefabricated domiciles to allow the mindwalkers who had been cramped together to expand out.

It took tens of millions of credits – but the Narn were quite willing to spend the money. The project promised a much brighter future than Narn had been looking at previously. Narn had become militant about conservation and proper management of resources because they had so few remaining after the occupations that they had in the past.

It was a long time before hunting of the re-introduced creatures would be allowed. The water creatures' eggs were scientifically managed to allow many more to survive than a purely natural process would have resulted in. Anyone who worked with fish knew that they laid far more eggs than normally survived to full maturity. The ones that had been re-introduced were protected enough so that the first generations survived much longer until the population was stable enough for nature to manage it.

When word got out that species that were thought to be extinct were sighted, the government opened the zoo (a Human concept) which contained examples of these in habitats that mimicked nature.

The facility was extremely popular for Narns from all over the world.

It took over fifty years but 60 percent of the re-introduced species thrived and became common over the world once more. 25 percent more survived in limited numbers. And the remaining percentage could not be saved, though every effort was made. Viable genetic material from the remaining 15 percent, however, was preserved so that they could be reproduced if technology advanced sufficiently.

When the last trunk had been emptied and the magic removed, Harry looked at G'Kar who had traveled with him everywhere he had been while he was there.

"I've done the best I can to help your world. The rest is up to your people."

G'Kar gave him a salute with clenched fists. "We shall do our best. Our thanks, Harry Potter. From the entire Narn people, our thanks."

Harry waved it off. "It was a pleasure." He then turned and G'Kar, as well as a few others who had been watching from a distance, watched the light move off and disappear and heard the song that wafted about. It was a song of renewal and hope.


	18. End of Thread

B5 and other Crossover

The World Left Behind

A/N: Someone requested I separate out B5 stories to a different thread. I tried that, but that made everything confusing. I wish there was an easy way to integrate. That being said, I won't be compartmentalizing stories unless it's a long arc.

And so this thread is finished and there is the beginning of a new arc in the main story line, HArry Potter, Lone Traveler, God and Wizard.


End file.
